Buckthorn: Common and Glossy

Both types of buckthorn are shrubs that can grow upward of 20 feet tall, and several inches in diameter. Each one produces black berries, which look similar to black cherries (do not eat them). Both can grow in similar areas, but Common tends toward upland grounds, and Glossy tends toward lower, moist grounds. They can form very dense stands, out-competing native vegetation and suppressing natural forest regeneration.