In this Birds & Blooms article, Byron Hays from Davey's Kansas City office talks about why common buckthorn trees are problematic in North America. 

Posted: July 07, 2025

A woman in a vest and a hard hat crouches down to inspect vegetation.Common buckthorn trees are native to Eurasia, but invasive in North America, where they harm ecosystems by crowding out native plant species and creating a monoculture.

“That negatively impacts pollinators, birds and other wildlife, plus its berries offer no nutritional value to birds and can lead to fatal digestive issues,” says Byron Hays of Kansas City Davey Tree.

Psst—grow these trees and shrubs with berries for birds instead.

Common buckthorn can grow as a woody shrub or small tree, reaching 10 to 25 feet tall.

To continue reading Byron's advice, click here. 

For more information, contact the Kansas City office. 

The Davey Tree Expert Company, headquartered in Kent, Ohio, provides research-driven tree services, grounds maintenance and environmental and utility infrastructure consulting for residential, utility, commercial and environmental partners in the U.S. and Canada. As one of the top ten largest employee-owned companies in the U.S., Davey's 12,000 employees have been dedicated to creating and delivering sustainable solutions since 1880. Apply today to join the Davey legacy, and learn about how we're growing with our new SEED Campus

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