"Frangula alnus " is one of just two food plants ( the other being " Rhamnus cathartica " ) used by the thrushes.
2.
But when " Frangula alnus " invades and grows in these locations, its dense canopy prevents light from reaching the ground and therefore prevents other seedlings from growing.
3.
The European species, alder buckthorn ( " Frangula alnus " ) was of major military importance in the 15th to 19th centuries, as its wood provided the best quality charcoal for gunpowder manufacture.