The Rhamnaceae or Buckthorn family is about 900 species large and found throughout the world -- mainly in the warmer parts. I don't think this family existed for me before I moved to California and got acquainted with its community of native chaparral plants. One of the more abundant and attractive of these drought-resistant shrubs is Ceanothus. They are attractive in the wild, where their spherical, white and lavender flowers emit a memorable perfume, and they are attractive as landscaping shrubs, their hardy leaves remaining dark-green year round. The Ceanothus genus contains over 50 species plus numerous hybrids and cultivars.
It was also in California where I had a memorable encounter with Jujube, Ziziphus jujuba, also known as Chinese date. This more exotic member of the Rhamnaceae family hails from Asia. The most striking feature are the fruits; once you see the mature fruits, you cannot un-see them. At least I can't. They resemble dates in some respects and not surprisingly they are eaten in a similar way -- as snacks, dried fruit and various confections. But they are not related to dates, which belong to the Arecaceae family.
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