Hippophae rhamnoides

'Sea Buckthorn'

Elaeagnaceae: A slow growing branched, dense, thorny shrub to 10m. Native to stabilised coastal sand dunes but also wildly planted. The flowers are tiny and greenish, male and female flowers are born on separate plants from March – April. The flowers are followed by bright orange berries. The leaves are narrow and greyish green. Native to the East coast but planted elsewhere.

USES:

The fruit can be used raw or cooked. The berries are very rich in vitamin C and vitamin A, they are too acid when raw for most people’s tastes. Used for making fruit juice, it is high in vitamins and has an attractive aroma. It is being increasingly used in making fruit juices, especially when mixed with other fruits, because of its reputed health benefits.

A high-quality medicinal oil is made from the fruit and used in the treatment of cardiac disorders, it is also said to be particularly effective when applied to the skin to heal burns, eczema and radiation injury, and is taken internally in the treatment of stomach and intestinal diseases.

GROWING INFORMATION:

Succeeds in most soils, including poor ones, so long as they are not too dry. Grows well by water and in fairly wet soils. Requires a sunny position, seedlings fail to grow in a shady position and mature shrubs quickly dying if overshadowed by taller plants. Does well in very sandy soils, and tolerant of maritime exposure. Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required. Sow seeds in spring in a sunny position in a cold frame are greenhouse. A three month cold stratification may improve the germination rate. Alternatively the seed can be sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe in the autumn.

HARVESTED: 2020

APPROX. 45+ SEEDS