Comments on: (winter)berries’ bounty

By: Red-tailed Marauder « the contemplative nuthatch

Red-tailed Marauder « the contemplative nuthatch — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 00:22:09 +0000

[...] my earlier posts lambasting Rhamnus in all its glory, the birds seem to find it an acceptable substitute for a native berry bush. The [...]

By: sitta

sitta — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 15:26:08 +0000

Thanks! European Buckthorn (_Rhamnus_cathartica_) was introduced in the late 1800s as an ornamental hedgerow; it has moved on from a more domesticated setting, “invading” natural areas (along with the honeysuckle) via birds…

By: aphriza

aphriza — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 02:48:27 +0000

This is the kind of detailed natural history post that the Web needs more of: people understanding the specifics of their neighborhood ecosystems. Nice work. I do wonder about the buckthorn you mention – I know that in the South several species of Rhamnus are native. Where did this invasive one come from? It’s sort of tantalizing to hear that they were likely brought to SSW by birds, since that’s not exactly an invasion. Unless, of course, they were brought from Japan by some Rochester-based horticulturist and then ferried over to Ithaca by cedar waxwings or catbirds. Regardless, nice post…