Frangula purshiana

Common Names

Cascara Sagrada, Cascara, Cascara Buckthorn, Bearberry, Chittam Bark, Chitticum Bark, Coffee-Tree, Pursh's Buckthorn

Summary

Cascara buckthorn is a deciduous shrub or small tree native to western North America from British Columbia to northern California, west of the Cascades and east to northern Idaho and northwestern Montana, typically reaching 15–40 ft tall with an upright habit. It features smooth brownish to silver-gray bark with yellowish inner bark, alternate simple leaves 5–15 cm long with 10–15 parallel veins, tiny greenish-yellow flowers in umbels, and drupes 6–10 mm that mature to purplish-black, commonly occurring as an understory plant in moist coniferous forests along streams and tolerating sun to partial shade in moist, well-drained soils.

Cultivation notes include a preference for moist, well-drained soils rich in organic matter, with tolerance of sun to partial shade and drought tolerance once established, especially in shade. Practical uses encompass bark used medicinally as a laxative, cultivation as an ornamental hedge, and wildlife habitat value with dyes obtainable from bark and berries; propagation by seeds with 3 months of cold stratification or by cuttings from half-ripe to mature wood; hardy to about −15 C (USDA zones 4–9); aphids can be a nuisance.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

3 feet 6 inches - 50 feet

Spread

12-20 feet

Hardiness Zones

Zones 3-9

Sunlight Requirements

Full Sun to Partial Shade.

Soil Type

Moist, well-drained soil

Soil Drainage

Moist, well-drained soil.

Soil pH

Tolerates all pH levels

Bloom Color

Greenish yellow

Bloom Time

Spring

Foliage Color

Dark green

Fall Foliage Color

Yellow to orange-red (in fall)

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Growth Rate

24 inches per year (60 cm/year)

Seasons of Interest

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Propagation Methods

Seeds, Cuttings, Layering

Attracts Wildlife

Bees, hummingbirds, butterflies, other pollinators, and birds are attracted