Rhamnus frangula 'Straight Line' – 'Straight Line' Alder Buckthorn

The 'Straight Line' alder buckthorn erects a spectacular plant column that instantly structures landscapes with flawless verticality. This graphic shrub deploys entire, oval, glossy dark green foliage that intensely catches the light throughout the warm season. Perfect for adding rhythm to contemporary designs, it brilliantly solves space constraints by creating dense privacy screens where standard trees cannot fit, before transforming into a radiant golden pillar in autumn.

Characteristics

• Foliage : Deciduous, entire, and oval-lanceolate leaves adorned with clear parallel veins. Their glossy dark green finish turns into a luminous golden yellow in autumn.
• Flowering / Fruiting / Stems : Small, discreet greenish-yellow flowers in spring, followed by green berries turning red then black at maturity. Its vigorous and strictly upright stems maintain an impeccable habit against the weight of snow.
• Light Requirement : Requires full sun or partial shade.
• Habit : Strictly columnar, fastigiate, and highly erect.
• Growth : Moderate to fast growth rate, reaching a height of 400 to 500 cm with a restricted spread of 150 to 200 cm.
• Soil : Adapts flexibly to most soil structures, preferring loose, fresh, and well-drained soils, while tolerating clay.
• Temperature : Offers excellent hardiness and withstands the harshness of zone 3 without damage.
• Resistances : Supports urban pollution, compacted soils, severe cold, and browsing by hares and rabbits.

Use

• Types of Use : Erect a narrow privacy hedge, divide property sections, frame a walkway, or create a rhythmic vertical accent in a border. Also suitable for planting in a large container on a patio or balcony.
• Decorative Advantages : Provides an immediate formal structure and a dense green screen that retains its flawless geometric silhouette without intervention.

Maintenance

• Watering : Water generously upon planting and maintain regular moisture during the first two seasons. Allow the soil to dry slightly between waterings thereafter, as the deep root system tolerates temporary drought.
• Fertilization : Incorporate a good layer of rich compost into the soil surface or apply a granular fertilizer for trees and shrubs in early spring to stimulate its vigour.
• Pruning : Avoid severe pruning since its fastigiate habit is natural. Prune only deadwood or branches damaged by harsh weather in the very early spring.
• Planting : Space plants 100 to 150 cm apart to create a dense screen and set the root collar flush with the ground level.