Male and female duo of sea buckthorn

This pair of male and female sea buckthorn plants will provide a bountiful harvest of small orange fruits on the female Leikora plant, starting from September on a mature plant. Sea buckthorn is a thorny, hardy shrub, resistant to wind, with rapid growth and very low demands, adapting to a wide range of soils, even poor and salty ones. Sea buckthorn fruits are highly decorative and edible after processing, as they are acidic and astringent. Suitable for planting in an informal or defensive hedge.

This pair consists of:

1 x Hippophae rhamnoides Pollmix: male plant, good pollinator for female varieties.

1 x Hippophae rhamnoides Leikora: female plant with round, yellow-orange fruits measuring 6 to 8 mm in diameter with a tangy flavour. Renowned for their high vitamin and antioxidant content, these sea buckthorn berries can be consumed in the form of compotes, jams, syrups, or jellies. They are also used in cosmetics, in the form of oil extracted from the seeds and pulp. This German selection is widely spread in Europe and North America.

Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides), not to be confused with the strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo), is a shrub belonging to the family Elaeagnaceae, which is native to temperate regions of Eurasia. It can be found in mountainous areas as well as on coastal dunes, where it helps combat soil erosion. It is a dense and thorny shrub with rapid growth, reaching a height of 3 to 5 m. Its dense root system can fix nitrogen in the soil. Its leaves are narrow and elongated, dark green on the upper side and silver-grey underneath. It is a very hardy shrub, able to withstand temperatures as low as -30°C and also tolerant of drought. In the garden, sea buckthorn can be planted in an informal or defensive hedge, or as a standalone plant. It adds a decorative touch with its orange fruits, which are present throughout the winter. Sea buckthorn foliage is deciduous and falls in autumn.

The sea buckthorn has very small, greenish flowers in April before the foliage. Apart from a few self-fertile varieties, sea buckthorn plants either bear male flowers or female flowers, making them dioecious plants. Fruit production then requires having a plant of the opposite sex, with one male plant able to pollinate three to five female plants. Berries will be produced on female bushes from the 2nd or 3rd year onwards.