Sea Buckthorn

Sea Buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) Last month I enjoyed strolling through some amazing gardens featured on the Cape Elizabeth Garden Tour (Cape Elizabeth, ME). One especially lovely seaside garden had an unusual looking plant that I had never seen before. The willow-like leaves reminded me of Tamarix. I learned it was Sea Buckthorn (photo right from University of California, Berkeley), a deciduous shrub with brilliant orange, edible fruit that ripens in fall. The fruit is rich in vitamin C as well as other great nutrients. The throny shrubs can get 8’ – 12’ tall (the ones I saw were kept pruned to around 4’). Sea Buckthorn, like Holly, can be male or female. Both must be grown near each other for fruit production. The shrub is hardy in Zones 3 – 8 and grows in full sun. To learn more about Sea Buckthorn, visit Missouri Botanical Garden’s web page.