Tuesday, 8:00 AM. 49 degrees, wind NNE, calm. Cannel slightly wrinkled, the sky is blue, the barometer down, predicting partly cloudy skies.Many invasive species seem innocuous, or very natural, in the landscape. The buckthorns fall into that category. However, they can take over the under story in disturbed wood lots, particularly in urban areas. There are a number of species and varieties, but in our area only two, Rhamnus cathartica, the common buckthorn and R. frangula, glossy buckthorn. They are invasive because the produce seed very heavily and particularly the latter has been much used in landscaping, for hedges. ‘Tallhedge’ is a much used cultivar. The common buckthorn is particularly thorny. The bark and berries of buckthorns look a good deal like wild cherries, but the berries can be definitely identified by squeezing them in your fingers; the common has two or three seeds, the glossy four, each seed flat on one side. The berries are very bitter, and were once used as a purgative. Buckthorns should not be planted and should be eradicated where possible.
This morning we are going to Highland Valley Farm to pick up or two boxes of flash-frozen blueberries, which should last us through the winter.
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