Handsome shrub or small tree with dark, shiny green leaves and beautiful, sweet, round fruit that turns from red to black. Fruit ripens from August-October. Fall foliage is yellow to orange-yellow and sometimes lasts into winter.
Native Plant Database
Header Photo: Mervin Wallace
Indian Cherry; Carolina Buckthorn
Frangula caroliniana
Plant Type: Shrubs
Native Environment: Forest
Season of Interest: Mid (May - June), Late (July - frost)
Main Color: Green
Fall Color: Orange, Yellow
USDA PLANTS Range Map
At the range map link above, zoom in for county-level data


Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Medium Sun/Average Shade

Soil
Moisture
Dry, Moderate

Nature Attracting
Songbirds

Wildlife Benefit
Food/Birds

Animal
Resistance
Size
Height:
15 to
20
feet
Spread:
10 to
15
feet
Size
Height: 15 to
20
feet
Spread: 10 to
15
feet
Size
Height: 15 to
20
feet
Spread: 10 to
15
feet
Typical Landscape Use
Specimen, shrub border, hedgerow or screen. Use along the edge of a woodland and to attract birds.
Establishment and Care Instructions
Grow in average, dry to medium wet, well-drained soils.
Special Features
Special Usage
Basic Description
Where Should I Start?
Check out the Grow Native! Committee’s Top Ten picks of native plants for a particular purpose.
What’s the Next Step?
Picked out your plants? View our Resource Guide of garden centers, seed sources, landscapers, education resources, and more!
Where Can I Find This Plant in Nature?
Learn about the Native Environment(s) inhabited by the plants in this database.