Sea Buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides)
Other (common) names: seaberry, sandthorn, sallowthorn, Siberian pineapple.
Family: Elaeagnaceae
Appearance:
Sea buckthorn is a deciduous spiny bush shrub that can grow prolifically to form a thicket. This makes it a good plant to grow as a barrier hedge It can grow to approximately 8 metres in height. With pruning the size of the plant can be maintained or the plant can just be left to grow naturally, making it useful in a forest garden as a canopy, sub canopy or shrub layer.
It can produce basal shoots (suckers) by which it can spread underground to other areas. It forms a tangled root system which is useful for soil restoration. It has silvery green, long, narrow leaves.
It is 'dipecious', meaning that it needs a male and a female plant to produce fruits on the female plant. It has small green flowers on the female plant and yellow/brown flowers on the male. The flowers on the female plant are followed by bright orange berries in the autumn, providing that the flowers have been pollinated by a nearby male plant.
Useful Information:
- Sea buckthorn is a low maintenance plant that is tolerant to drought and has very few known pests or diseases.
- It is known to be a 'nitrogen fixing' plant as it can utilise the nitrogen from deep down in the soil with the assistance of nitrogen-fixing bacteria. This makes it a good soil stabiliser.
- The berries can be quite difficult to harvest because of the very sharp thorns on the bush.
- The flowers are a good food source for moths and butterflies and the fruits are a good food source for birds.
- The plants are not contraindicated for chickens or pigs and are generally believed to be safe (please always cross reference information before deliberately feeding a new food source to your animals)
Plant Care:
Sea buckthorn (as the common name suggests) is usually found naturally on the coast. It grows well on the sand dunes as it thrives on well draining soil that is pH alkaline/neutral. It also prefers a sunny location. In lower light levels it will produce less fruit. Pruning is best done in late winter to early spring before the buds open.
Feed more phosphorus than nitrogen.
Propagation:
The seeds need around 17 weeks of cold stratification before germination occurs. Each berry has a single seed within it. Cuttings from a pre-existing plant can be taken. It can be 2-3 years before a new plant will begin to produce fruit.
Uses:
- The berries can be made into jams, jellies, syrups, pies or even wine. They have a taste similar to sour orange but some say that they have a flavour slightly hinting towards pineapple. They are not supposed to taste very good raw (I haven't tried them to be able to comment!) as they are very sour. Take care when consuming, as too many may have a laxative effect!
- The berries have a high vitamin C content and so some recommend them in helping with colds
- The berries are also a good source of Omega 7
- The berries can be used to make a natural dye (yellow)
- The wood has a high density and so it good for burning and it is also good for crafts due to it's fine grain
- Sea buckthorn has been used to make face creams and lotions. It is astringent in nature and so creams and lotions made from this can be useful for cuts and burns (sunburn in particular), acne and psoriasis. It may also be beneficial for rosacea and wrinkles
- Is said to reduce high blood pressure
Contraindications:
It has been known to cause swelling, headaches, dizziness and palpitations in some people with high blood pressure (according to webmd.com). Always take care when using plants either internally or externally on your body (or for your animals) as everyone is unique and will react in different ways to things in the natural world.
Other facts, beliefs and folklore:
Sea buckthorn was supposed to have been the favourite food of Pegasus, the winged horse in Greek mythology. The berries and leaves are often used in horse supplements in the present time.