PlantFiles: Butcher's Broom, Christmas Berry Butcher's Broom
Ruscus aculeatus

Sometimes called Christmas Berry, Butcher's Broom. Origin of this plant is listed as England, Iran, Mediterranean area.

This plant is a native of Europe and is an indicator species for ancient woodland.
I am happy to say it is growing wild in my garden in SW France. A very attractive plant when it is bearing the bright red berries - though not so good to walk through as the points of the leaves are needle sharp.

Evergreen, peculiar shrub native to West and Southern Europe and not uncommon in Great Britain.

Has cladodes (green flattened stems) ovate or lanceolate with a spiny tip in place of leaves. Bears tiny, dull green, star shaped 6 petalled flowers in the centre of the cladode. Stems are green, erect and have no bark. The flowers may be male, female or hermaphrodite on this species. Female and hermaphrodite plants bear bright red berries through Autumn and Winter.

Flowers January - April

Loves dry shade but will grow in any soil as long as it isn't waterlogged for any length of time.

Its main common name comes from the practise of tieing branches together and using it to sweep butchers blocks.

It also had other uses in the past, none that I recommend you try.

The young shoots were once boiled and eaten like asparagus, to which it is related.

People would flog chilblains with the branches, use it as a diuretic, treat jaundice, scrophulus tumours and to remove phlegm. It was also made into a poultice and used to mend broken bones.

Eating the berries will cause stomach upset.