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Rhamnaceae FAMILY Least Concern

Rhamnus alaternus

Rhamnus alaternus

Edibility
0/5
Medicinal
2/5

Safety & Hazards

Rhamnus alaternus can be toxic when used in an abusive way[1]. Species in this genus contain hydroxyanthracene derivatives which have a stimulant laxative effect upon the body, and many species are used traditionally as laxatives. In small doses, and for short periods, these can be safe and effective, but used over long periods they can weaken the body's natural ability to defecate and can have a range of long-lasting negative effects upon the body, including anaemia, malabsorption, haematuria and weight loss. Large single doses can cause severe purging.

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Shrub
GrowthMedium

Rhamnus alaternus is native to a Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and cool, moist winters. It is a moderately cold-hardy plant, able to tolerate short periods with temperatures down to around -15°c when it is fully dormant[2, 3]. An easily grown plant that succeeds in ordinary garden soil in sun or shade[4]. Succeeds in a hot dry position. Plants are very tolerant of exposure to salt-laden winds, succeeding in exposed maritime gardens[3]. One report, however, says that they are not very root firm[4]. A fairly fast-growing plant according to one report[5], whilst another says that it grows slowly but has a long life-span[6]. The species in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[3]. A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required. There are some reports of hermaphrodite flowers on individual trees[1].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a cold frame. Stored seed will require 1 - 2 months stratification at 5°c and should be sown as early in the year as possible in a cold frame[3]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle, and grow them on in the greenhouse or cold frame for their first winter. Plant them out in late spring or early summer of the following year. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, mid summer in a frame[7]. Cuttings of mature wood of the current year's growth, autumn in a frame. Layering in early spring[8]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Rhamnus+alaternus>

Pollinators

Insects

References

  1. [1]IUCN Red List of Threatened Species — http://www.iucnredlist.org/ ↩︎A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
  2. [2]Shrubs. — Phillips. R. & Rix. M. · Pan Books · 1989 · ISBN 0-330-30258-2 ↩︎Excellent photographs and a terse description of 1,900 species and cultivars.
  3. [3]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  4. [4]Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. — Thomas. G. S. · Murray · 1992 · ISBN 0-7195-5043-2 ↩︎Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.
  5. [5]Climbers and Wall Shrubs. — Davis. B. · Viking. · 1990 · ISBN 0-670-82929-3 ↩︎Contains information on 2,000 species and cultivars, giving details of cultivation requirements. The text is terse but informative.
  6. [6]Flore Forestiere Du Globe — Chnacerel L. · Gauthier-Villars et Co.; Paris. · 1920 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org ↩︎Written in French, a very detailed work on the timbers of the world. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
  7. [7]The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. — Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. · Athens Ga. Varsity Press · 1987 · ISBN 0942375009 ↩︎A very detailed book on propagating trees. Not for the casual reader.
  8. [8]A Modern Herbal. — Grieve. · Penguin · 1984 · ISBN 0-14-046-440-9 ↩︎Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.
  9. [9]Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. — Bean. W. · Murray · 1981 · ISBN - ↩︎A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
  10. [10]Global Invasive Species Database — http://www.issg.org/database/welcome/ ↩︎Very detailed information on almost 400 species (with more being added) of plants that have become weeds in areas outside their native range.
  11. [11]Flora of the USSR. — Komarov. V. L. · Israel Program for Scientific Translation · 1968 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org · ISBN - ↩︎An immense (25 or more large volumes) and not yet completed translation of the Russian flora. Full of information on plant uses and habitats but heavy going for casual readers. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
  12. [12]Antihyperlipidemic effect of a Rhamnus alaternus leaf extract in Tritoninduced hyperlipidemic rats and human HepG2 c — Tacherfiout M. et al · 2018 · https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2018.02.106 ↩︎
  13. [13]An Illustrated Dictionary of Medicine, Biology and Allied Sciences. — Gould G.M. · P. Blakiston's Son & Co.; Philadelphia. · 1907 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org ↩︎A major work at the time, though very dated now. Contains quite a lot of information about medicinal plant uses.
  14. [14]Flora Iberica — http://www.floraiberica.es ↩︎Published in book form, the treatments of the various species have also been released on-line in PDF format. Records entered here are all from the on-line PDFs.