How to Grow and Care for Sea Buckthorn Hippophae rhamnoides
Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides), as its name implies, is a shrub with a thorny nature.
It has a number of other common names, including sea berry, sandthorn, and swallowthorn. But if you ask me the best moniker is “Siberian pineapple” – a reference to the plant’s cold hardiness and the flavor of its berries.
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These little orange berries – called sea berries – have made sea buckthorn popular thanks to their “superfruit” status.
The berries are commonly found in baked goods and cosmetic products across North America, but sea buckthorn is still not a familiar sight in home gardens.
In this guide we’ll discuss how to grow sea buckthorn. Here’s what I’ll cover:
What Is Sea Buckthorn?Sea buckthorn is a medium to large size shrub or small tree, growing between 13 to 20 feet tall with a spread of about 11 feet.
Its native territory spans the subpolar and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere – except for North America.
Often found naturally growing in subalpine, coastal, as well as desert regions, this versatile shrub is highly adaptable to many climates. It is very cold hardy, thriving in Zones 3 to 8.
Classification of the genus Hippophae is still evolving. Currently, there are six species in the Hippophae genus.
Of these, Hippophae rhamnoides is the most well-known and wide-ranging species. Other notable species include H. salicifolia andH. tibetana.
Sea buckthorn is a capable shrub that fixes its own nitrogen in the soil. Its quick growing root system and suckering habit makes it useful in preventing soil erosion and for use as a windbreak.
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