Rhamnus Purshiana (Rhamnaceae)

This buckthorn is a native to the North Western US and was an important medicinal going back to the native people. Rhamnus is a small tree to about 15 ft. with a smooth grey bark, the leaves are elliptical, it flowers and in the Fall has small purple berries that can persist into Winter. The bark, which is intensely bitter, has been used as a laxative for centuries. When the Spanish explorers of the NW found how the natives were using it, they called it Cascara Sagrada, or sacred bark, for it’s important properties. A nice landscaping tree with a long and interesting history.