Sea buckthorn

Hippophae rhamnoides

Thorny silver-leaved shrub bearing dense clusters of tart bright-orange berries. Berries have exceptional vitamin C and E content; growing commercial bushfood interest.

Hardiness ratings

Sea buckthorn hardiness across the four zone systems
SystemRatingTemperature rangeHow to read it
USDA hardiness zone Zone 3–8 −40 °C to −6.7 °C Plant tolerates down to this zone
RHS hardiness rating H7 down to −20 °C Plant needs at least this level of cold tolerance
Canadian plant hardiness zone Zone 3–8 −34 °C to −1 °C Plant tolerates down to this zone
Australian (ANBG) zone Zone 1–4 −15 °C to 5 °C Plant tolerates down to this zone

Growing notes

  • Fixes nitrogen via Frankia bacteria (actinorhizal symbiosis) rather than the Rhizobium of legumes — a non-legume nitrogen fixer
  • Dioecious — male and female plants both required for fruit set; one male pollinates 6–8 females
  • Thorny growth makes it an excellent windbreak and security hedge
  • Always consult a qualified medical or herbal practitioner before using any plant medicinally

Categories

Related plants

Cross-check Sea buckthorn against your zones

Reference

Sea buckthorn on Wikipedia