common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica)
Rhamnaceae, the buckthorn family

How to recognize commoin buckthorn. 

Flowers and fruits.

In the winter. 

Where to find common buckthorn. The Ohio Invasive Plants Council, in their Fact Sheet No. 7 tells us that “Autumn-olive and Russian-olive have nitrogen-fixing root nodules, which allow them to adapt to many poor soil types including bare mineral substrates. Autumn-olive is found throughout Ohio, occurring in various open to semi-shaded habitats including old fields, grasslands, barrens, woodlands, savannahs, alvars (limestone prairies), roadsides, reclaimed strip-mined areas, and open disturbed sites. ”

Scanned Image from an Old Book
(Flora of West Virginia, by P.D. Strausbaugh and Earl L. Core)

Ooh ooh. I have a question!

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