Rhamnus cathartica

FamilyGenus: Rhamnusnative in Germany

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Species

interact

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126

Interactions

documented

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Host relationships

Species

About this species

Rhamnus cathartica is a native deciduous shrub or small tree found in Great Britain. It reaches around 3.3 metres in height and bears small flowers from May to June. It thrives in sunny, calcareous sites with moderately moist, fresh soil and a low level of disturbance.

Ecological network

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PollinationLarval hostFlower visit

Ecological significance

As a native species, Rhamnus cathartica forms part of the natural vegetation and does not exhibit invasive behaviour.

Annual cycle

Deciduous. Leaves emerge in spring. Flowers open in May and June. Leaves fall in autumn.

Standort & Merkmale

Light

Sonne

Moisture

Frisch (Mäßig feucht)

Soil

—

Flowering period

Mai – Jun

Bioregion

Continental

Growth form

Strauch/Baum

Woodiness

Verholzt

Leaf type

Breitblättrig

Leaf phenology

Laubabwerfend

Plant height

3.292 m

Morphological traits: TRY ID3 (CC BY 3.0) & TRY ID81 (CC BY)

Pflege & Anbau

Plant in full sun. Prefers fresh, moderately moist, well-drained soil with a calcareous or basic pH. Tolerates neutral to alkaline conditions. Once established, it requires little intervention.

Scientific profile

Rhamnus cathartica is a native, woody, deciduous shrub or small tree in Great Britain, typically attaining a height of approximately 3.3 metres. Its broad leaves are shed in autumn. Flowering occurs in May and June. The species shows a strong preference for sunny, calcareous or basic soils with a fresh to moderately moist moisture regime and moderate nutrient levels. It is associated with environments experiencing low disturbance and moderately warm temperatures.

Pollinators & visitors

24 Arten interagieren mit dieser Pflanze

Erithacus rubeculaTurdus iliacusCallophrys rubiTurdus merulaTurdus philomelosAndrena chrysosceles Andrena helvola Andrena cinerariaAndrena flavipesAndrena nitida Andrena haemorrhoa Bombus pascuorum Andrena nigroaenea Bombus pratorum Celastrina argiolusAndrena fucataApis melliferaEnoplognatha ovata Lymantria dispar Eupsilia transversa Vespula germanica Sphecodes monilicornisAndrena scoticaAndrena synadelpha

Host relationships

11 species use this plant as a host

Gonepteryx rhamniGastropacha quercifoliaPhilereme vetulataPhilereme transversataTriphosa dubitataOrthosia gothicaNola confusalisAcasis viretataAcronicta tridensOperophtera brumataCosmia trapezina

Other flower visitors

43 other species visit the flowers

Sylvia atricapillaPasser montanusSylvia communisPoecile palustrisColumba palumbusTurdus torquatusCyanistes caeruleusChloris chlorisCorvus coroneSylvia currucaPhoenicurus phoenicurusPasser domesticusMuscicapa striataPoecile montanusAegithalos caudatusFringilla coelebsParus montanusCoccothraustes coccothraustesSylvia borinParus majorDendrocopos majorPyrrhula pyrrhulaSturnus vulgarisTurdus pilarisTurdus viscivorusApodemus flavicollis Muscardinus avellanariusDendrocoptes mediusHippolais icterinaCalvia quatuordecimguttataOedemera virescens Agrilus cyanescensPhoenicurus ochrurosPica picaSitta europaeaPicus viridisGallinula chloropusPhylloscopus collybitaPhylloscopus trochilusFicedula parvaGarrulus glandariusLuscinia lusciniaFicedula hypoleuca

Sources & data origin

•Interaktionsdaten via GloBI (CC-BY 4.0)

•Cook et al. (2025) UK Butterfly & Moth Traits (DOI: 10.5285/dbc7cc17-cbbd-49dd-bab4-8e8855768d66)

•pollinator_interactions

•FloraWeb / BfN

•EIVE 1.0 — Dengler et al. (2023), DOI: 10.3897/VCS.98324 (CC BY 4.0)

•GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — GBIF Secretariat (2024), DOI: 10.15468/39omei (CC BY 4.0)

•TRY Categorical Traits (ID3) — Kattge et al. (2012), DOI: 10.17871/TRY.3 (CC BY 3.0)

•TRY Global Spectrum (ID81) — Díaz et al. (2016/2021), DOI: 10.17871/TRY.81 (CC BY)

•Govaerts R et al. (2025) — World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP) v14. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. DOI: 10.34885/xs7h-ze42 (CC BY 4.0)

All data is licensed under CC BY 4.0, CC0, or compatible terms. Attribution according to license conditions. Full source overview →