How to grow sea buckthorn

Hippophae rhamnoides gets its botanical name from a long association with horses. Hippophae is thought to mean ‘shiny horse’, referring to one of its uses in ancient Greece as fodder for horses. Rhamnoides refers to its similarity to the buckthorn tree (Rhamnus cathartica), mostly likely in terms of its thorns, as Rhamnus comes from the Greek for ‘thorny shrub’. Sea buckthorn has many common names across the world, including willow thorn, sea thorn and swallow thorn.

This hardy shrub generally grows 3-5m tall and forms dense, spiny thickets. It has silvery-green willow-like foliage. Sea buckthorn is wind pollinated and dioecious, meaning it grows male and female flowers on separate plants. Unless the variety you buy is self-fertile, you'll need a male and female to produce fruits. Male varieties will pollinate several females in the vicinity. Insignificant green flowers are produced on female plants in spring and, once pollinated, they develop into vivid orange fruits. Sea buckthorn has been used both as a wild food and for its medicinal properties for centuries across Europe and Asia. Hippophae rhamnoides extracts are also used in cosmetics and in the food industry.

How to grow sea buckthorn

Grow sea buckthorn in full sun in either sheltered or exposed sites. Sea buckthorn is drought-tolerant and needs little attention once it's well established.

Where to grow sea buckthorn

Sea buckthorn is on Schedule 9 of the 1980 UK Wildlife & Countryside Act in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, meaning it's illegal to plant or cause to it to grow in the wild. Anyone who grows sea buckthorn in these areas should take measures to control them. It's also considered an invasive species in many areas of North America. Although sea buckthorn spreads mainly by suckers, it can also be spread by seed after birds have eaten the fruits. For this reason, it's best not to plant sea buckthorn in your garden if you live near coastal areas of the UK with sand dune systems.

Sea buckthorn thrives in alkaline to neutral soils, but can cope with acidic soil too. It's particularly important to grow sea buckthorn in full sun as plans need lots of sunlight. Sea buckthorn will grow in anything from well-drained to damp clay conditions, but doesn’t grow well in waterlogged soils. It also has good tolerance for wind and salt, which makes it an excellent plant for exposed areas in coastal gardens.

How to plant sea buckthorn

Plant bare-root sea buckthorn in late autumn or winter. Ensure plants have enough room to grow by leaving around 3m between them, unless grown as a hedge, where they can be planted 1-1.5m apart. Plants should fruit at around three to five years old, providing there are male and female plants for pollination.

How to care for sea buckthorn

Prune sea buckthorn by cutting a third of the plant back to the base every year in late winter if you’re growing for fruit production. Wear protective clothing and eye protection when pruning to avoid injury from the spines. Sea buckhorn spreads by vigorous suckering. Remove suckers to control its spread. Sea buckthorn is a low-maintenance shrub. It’s also drought-resistant and shouldn’t need watering once established. Plants are extremely hardy, so should cope well with frosts in any area of the UK.

How to propagate sea buckthorn

Sea buckthorn is easy to propagate from runners. Simply cut them off with as much root as possible and replant, watering well until established. Plants can also be propagated by layering or taking softwood cuttings (in July) or hardwood cuttings (in November or December). If you intend to propagate sea buckthorn, ensure you're following any regional laws and that you don’t cause the plant to grow in the wild.

How to harvest sea buckthorn

The fruits of sea buckthorn are rich in vitamins, especially vitamins C and E, and antioxidants. Fresh sea buckthorn juice is reputed to be effective against colds and to help with fatigue and other conditions. Sea buckthorn is a popular ingredient in skincare products, and it's said to have moisturising and healing properties. Always consult a doctor, pharmacist, or a qualified herbalist before using plants for self-medication. There is not enough information to know whether sea buckthorn is safe to use or eat during pregnancy and breastfeeding, so it should be avoided.

Sea buckthorn fruits are best harvested around September, when they are fully ripe and brightly coloured, but still firm. Different varieties, however, will have different harvesting times. Picking the berries is a time-consuming and difficult task, and requires thick protective clothing and eye protection against the thorny branches. An alternative to picking berries in situ, is to cut off whole branches and then strip the fruit with scissors or a fork once you are away from the main bush.

Pests and diseases

Sea buckthorn is generally unaffected by pests or diseases.

Varieties of sea buckthorn to buy

Hippophae rhamnoides 'Friesdorfer Orange'

Thorny, fairly compact, self-fertile variety that grows to 3m in height and produces plentiful crops of small to medium berries. Bushy habit which needs occasional pruning to keep in shape.

• Buy Hippophae rhamnoides 'Friesdorfer Orange' from Dobies

Hippophae rhamnoides 'Askola'

Large, female variety which grows 4-5m in height. Produces medium-large fruits from the end of August. Needs a male plant nearby for pollination and fruits.

• Buy Hippophae rhamnoides 'Askola' from Pennard Plants

Hippophae rhamnoides 'Leikora'

This female variety has received the RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGM). It crops well if there's a male nearby, producing large fruits in September and October, and can reach 4-8m in height with a spread of around 6m, depending on conditions.

• Buy Hippophae rhamnoides 'Leikora' from Thompson & Morgan

Hippophae rhamnoides 'Sirola'

Female upright variety growing to around 2m. It bears large, sweet fruits that grow on long stalks and few thorns, making picking easier. Fruit ripens in late July and early August. Needs a male plant nearby for pollination and fruits.

• Buy Hippophae rhamnoides 'Sirola' from Pennard Plants

Hippophae rhamnoides 'Orange Energy'

This upright, female variety has spreading branches which produce heavy crops of large orange fruits from mid-September to the end of the month, as long as there's a male plant nearby.

• Buy Hippophae rhamnoides 'Orange Energy' from The Mother Tree

Hippophae rhamnoides 'Silver Star'

Also known as ‘Hikul’, this male variety is compact and slow-growing, reaching 1-1.5m in height and spread, ideal for a smaller garden.

• Buy Hippophae rhamnoides 'Silver Star' from Paramount Plants

Hippophae rhamnoides 'Pollmix'

Male variety available in four types, each with different flowering periods. Grows into a large upright shrub (2-4m in height). Early-flowering 'Pollmix' 1 is a good pollinator for 'Sirola' and 'Orange Energy'. 'Pollmix' 2, 3 and 4 are good pollinators for ‘Leikora’, with 'Pollmix' 3 flowering latest of all.

• Buy Hippophae rhamnoides 'Pollmix 2' from Pennard Plants