| Easily-confused! |
|---|
| If your specimen is: | and has stems/leaves arranged: | and the leaves have/are: | and the bark is/has: | and the twigs: | and the fruit (if present): | | then you have: |
|---|
| | | | | | | |
| no more than waist-high (<1 m) (<3 ft) |
╟ alternate
| ▲▲ teeth
| —
| no hair
| —
| | lookalike
alderleaf buckthorn Rhamnus alnifolia.
|
| a tree
|
▲▲ teeth, visible within arm's length
| dark, lots of light-colored lenticels
if mature, looks covered with burnt potato chips/crisps
| — | are small, black, taste like 🍒︎ cherry even if sour
| | lookalike
◼︎🍒︎ black cherry Prunus serotina.
|
___ smooth margins or
▴▴▴▴ very small teeth (use 🔎︎ hand-lens)
| dark, lots of light-colored lenticels
| no
terminal thorn;
hairy
| —
| | lookalike
glossy buckthorn Frangula alnus.
|
___ smooth margins,
♦ taper at both ends, and
pass the dogwood leaf test
| no conspicuous lenticels
nor strong colors
| — | —
| | this plant (2 species), please
continue below …
|
| sub-opposite
| ▴▴▴ small teeth (can use 👀︎ naked eyes)
| dark, lots of light-colored lenticels
inner bark=orange (scrape outer bark with 🔪︎ knife)
| often have a
terminal thorn
| are small, black, taste disgusting after a few seconds — spit it out
| | lookalike
common buckthorn Rhamnus cathartica.
|
| ╫ opposite
|
___ smooth margins,
♦ taper at both ends, and
pass the dogwood leaf test
| no conspicuous lenticels
nor strong colors
| — | —
| | this plant (all-but-2 species), please
continue below …
|