Seaberry (Hippophae rhamnoides)

1 year old bareroot seedling 10”-18" tall

Seaberry is a thorny shrub with separate male and female plants able to improve relatively poor surrounding soil. Seaberry roots host nitrogen fixing bacteria and colonize erodible hill sides and steep slopes well. It produces orange berry-like fruit on thorny branches that can be harvested by cutting whole branches and freezing them to later process and juice for preservation. The bushes generally produce fruit within three years and reach their maximum production within seven or eight years.

Seaberry produces ample biomass and can be used as a living fence, shelter break or guardian companion plant for more browse susceptible plants. Fruit is only produced by female plants but need a male to pollinate for fruit set. People are often familiar with this plant from cosmetics and shampoos because of its nutritive capacity for improving skin hair and nails. It is indeed considered a superfood being nutritionally dense.

We describe the taste as little drops of sunshine, tart slightly sweet with a glowing aftertaste. Young plants need a bit of attention while getting established but once set up they are hard to get rid of and send up profuse amounts of suckers.