Plant Type

Shrub

 

Height Range

12-25'

 

Flower Color

White

 

Flower Season

Spring

 

Leaf Color

Dark Green

 

Bark Color

Brown, Red

 

Fruit Color

Black, Purple

 

Fruit Season

Summer, Fall

Sun

Full, Half

 

Water

Low, Medium

 

Growth Rate

Moderate

 

Soil Type

Sandy, Clay, Loam, Rocky

 

Soil Condition

Average, Rich, Poor, Well-drained, Dry

 

Soil pH

Neutral, Basic

 

Adverse Factors

n/a

Design Styles

English Cottage, Formal, Mediterranean, Ranch, Spanish

 

Accenting Features

Unusual Shape

 

Seasonal Interest

Winter, Summer

 

Location Uses

Background, Shrub Border, Foundation, Patio, Walls / Fences

 

Special Uses

Hedge, Screen, Mass Planting, Small Spaces

 

Attracts Wildlife

Birds

Tallhedge buckthorn is a deciduous, columnar shrub that typically grows in a narrow fastigiate shape to 12 to 15 feet tall and only 4 feet wide. Stems and branches are erect, close together and sometimes twining. Glossy, oval, dark green leaves retain their color well into fall, usually resulting in poor fall color. Small, whitish-green flowers appear in clusters in May thru June, and though not showy are none-the-less attractive to bees. Flowers are followed by berries that begin green but that ripen to purple in July, and while inedible to us are loved by birds. Bark is a deep brown to reddish-purple and is quite attractive in winter, especially when wet. An excellent hedge.

Grow in well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. Adapts to a variety of soils and pH. Plants may self-seed, but new seedlings are not always true. Plant 24 to 30 inches apart for a hedge that may be pruned to desired height.