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Alder Buckthorn
Rhamnus Frangula
This species can be found in Central Sallows, on the fringes of Central Bog and in Central Sallows. It tends to blend in well with its natural surroundings, and it is not always easy to spot.
This species is fairly well distributed around the Kinson Common and rarely grows beyond 5m. In appearance it resembles a small shrub. Growth is best achieved when it grows in moist peaty soils.
It has a smooth finely marked bark and the broad eliptical leaves are yellow-green. The latter turn have a wonderful yellow hue before dropping in the autumn. Tiny greenish-white flowers appear during May or June. It produces good quantities of fruit which are red when unripe before eventually turning black.
It has great conservation value as it provides the Brimstone butterfly with its sole source of food in the larval stage on site. In the past, the wood has been made into charcoal suitable for use in the production of gunpowder.
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