Scientific Name – Rhombus cathartica
Description – A deciduous shrub/ small tree. Can grow up to 33ft tall. They have grey-brown bark and spine branches. Leaves can vary from elliptical to oval. Flowers are yellowish-green, four petals on each, and are insect pollinated. The fruit of the tree is a round, blackish-purple drupe (having a pit). Birds disperse the seeds through their droppings.
History – Native to Europe, northwest Africa, and western Asia. It was brought into North America as an ornamental shrub in early 19th Century.
Use – The seeds and leaves of this plant are toxic to humans and other animals, causing stomach cramps and have laxative effects to help seed dispersal.
Harm – Competitive advantage over native plants because it leaves out earlier. It changes the nitrogen content of the soil, because it takes up more nitrogen than average, causing the leaves of the plant to decompose more rapidly.
Vermont Invasive Species Project – Thetford 