| Common Name |
Redberry, Redberry Buckthorn, Hollyleaf Redberry,
Hollyleaf Buckthorn |
| Latin Name |
Rhamnus crocea |
| Family |
Rhamnaceae |
| Sunset zones / USDA zones |
14-21 / 5-9 |
| Type / Form |
Shrub / Large |
| Native Habitat |
California and western USA 0 to 5,000 feet |
| Soil |
Dry, decomposed granite, sand, low organic content, well
drained |
| Water |
None to once per month |
| Exposure |
Full sun |
| Height X Width |
12 feet X 9 feet |
| Protective Mechanism |
Holly leaves |
| Leaves |
Alternate, simple, evergreen, oval, 1/4
to 3/4 inch long, fine, spiny teeth (holly-like, occasionally entire),
leathery, shiny green above, slightly lighter below. |
| Flowers |
Dioecious;
small, yellow-green, 4 triangular sepals, small cluster bloom from leaf
axils in mid-spring. Fruit shiny, bright red, round drupe, 1/3
inch in diameter, ripen in summer. |
| Bark / Roots |
Smooth gray, becomes
shallowly fissured and rough on large specimens.
Slender and stiff, red when
young but turning gray, often end in a stiff, "thorn-like" twig; buds
small, scaly. |
| Maintenance |
Low |
| Propagation |
|
| Pests and diseases |
Leaf spots, caterpillars (Larval host to Hermes
cooper) |
| Landscape uses |
Seeds, cuttings |
| Garden Suitability |
Hummingbird, Songbird, Butterfly, Fire Retardant,
Ethnobotanical |
| Ornamental Value |
White flowers in March and April, followed by showy red
berries, tree looks like scrub oak |
| Nature Value |
Hummingbirds and nectar loving insect use flowers, birds
and mammals eat berries |
| Native American Uses |
Berries eaten |
| Links |
Erosion control, rock garden, low maintenance, hedge,
background |
| Data: |
http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/shrub/rhacal/all.html |
| Data: |
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?6586,6658,6663 |
| Data: |
http://www.backyardgardener.com/plantname/pd_a8cb.html |
| Images and data: |
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhamnus_crocea |
| Images and data: |
http://www.desert-tropicals.com/Plants/Rhamnaceae/Rhamnus_crocea.html |
| Images and data: |
http://www.cnr.vt.edu/Dendro/dendrology/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=560 |
| Images and data: |
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=rhcr |
| Images and data: |
http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/species_query.cgi?where-calrecnum=7075 |
| Distribution map: |
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=RHCR |
| Nursery, images, and
data |
http://www.laspilitas.com/plants/569.htm |
| Nursery, images, and
data |
http://www.cnplx.info/nplx/species?taxon=Rhamnus+ilicifolia |
