Rhamnus Purshiana - Other Uses

Other Uses

The fruit can also be eaten cooked or raw, but has a laxative effect. The food industry sometimes uses cascara as a flavoring agent for liquers, soft drinks, ice cream, and baked goods. Cascara honey is tasty, but slightly laxative. The wood is used by local people for a posts, firewood, and turnery. It is also planted as an ornamental, to provide food and habitat for wildlife, or to prevent soil erosion. Due to its bitter taste, cascara can be used to stop nail-biting by applying it to the fingernails.