Help Control Buckthorn
The Buckthorn problem
Buckthorn are invasive shrubs or small trees. Two species are found in Minnesota: Common Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) and Glossy Buckthorn (Frangula alnus). Common Buckthorn is the species most often encountered on suburban properties.
Brought from Europe for hedges, buckthorn spread, forming dense thickets in forests and elsewhere. This highly invasive plant displaces native shrubs and small trees, destroying habitat for songbirds and other wildlife.
Management guide
Download our How to Beat Buckthorn guide to identification and management. You can also download individual pages:
- Cover page - How to identify common buckthorn
- Page 2 - How to identify glossy buckthorn
- Page 3 - How to control buckthorn - management options
- Page 4 - Native shrubs look-alikes
See the links under "City buckthorn programs & information" for resources available from your city within the watershed district.
Watch out for Garlic Mustard
Garlic Mustard is another woodland invasive plant. Download the factsheet on how to identify and control this species.
Seek and Destroy Garlic MustardResources from RPBCWD
- How to Beat Buckthorn - a guide to identification and management
- Stewardship Grant Program - grant money to help establish native vegetation after buckthorn removal
City buckthorn programs & information
- City of Eden Prairie buckthorn page
- Weed wrench (Uprooter) loan program for city residents
- City yard waste site for buckthorn disposal by city residents
- City of Chanhassen buckthorn page
- See this page for their weed wrench loan program for city residents
- City of Minnetonka
- Winning the Battle Against Buckthorn (StoryMap)
- Buckthorn workshop recording (3/14/2022) (video)
- City of Bloomington
Other resources
- Managing Invasive Buckthorn (June 2022) - whitepaper from U of M and MN Invasive Terrestrial Plants & Pests Center
- Buckthorn info - Minnesota DNR
- Controlling buckthorn: the who, what, where, when and how - University of Minnesota Extension
- Buckthorn: How can a shrub be so harmful? - Friends of the Mississippi River
- Cover It Up: Using plants to control buckthorn - University of Minnesota Dept. of Forestry Resources