Sea Buckthorn
Hippophae rhamnoides
A workhorse: fixes nitrogen, shelters the garden from wind and salt, and gives vitamin-C-packed berries. Plant one male per few females.
Sea-buckthorn, also known as sea buckthorn, sandthorn, sallowthorn or seaberry, is a species of flowering plant in the family Elaeagnaceae, native to cold-temperate regions of Eurasia. It is a spiny deciduous shrub. The fruit has culinary uses, while its extracts, including its oil, are used in the cosmetics industry and within traditional medicine. It is also used as animal fodder, in horticulture, and for ecological purposes.
Description from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).
At a glance
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Water need
- Low
- Mature height
- 3 m
- Maintenance
- Low
- Hardiness
- USDA 3–8
- Layers
- shrub
Functional roles
Pollination & soil
Dioecious — one male plant pollinates several females.
- Soil
- light/sandy
- pH
- Acid, Neutral, Alkaline
Thrives on poor, sandy, even salty ground.
Propagation
How to make more of this plant for free — the permaculture way.
When: Sow seed autumn; hardwood cuttings winter
Nitrogen fixer, drought/wind/salt tolerant. Thorny; needs male + female for berries.
Where to get it
Read more
Seed data pending expert review. Identification photo and description are sourced from Wikipedia/Wikimedia; always confirm a plant in person before eating any part of it.