SAFLAX - Sea Buckthorn - Hippophae rhamnoides - 40 seeds

The lemon of the North – northern source of vitamins



The Sea Buckthorn is used in the Tibetan medicine for more than 1.200 years, and in Europe it is known as a medicinal plant since the Middle Ages as well. With its spiked, red-brown branches, the slender silvery leaves and the bright orange-coloured fruits, the Hippophae rhamnoides is also a very attractive summer-green ornamental plant in every garden. It is rather slow-growing and can become a couple of meters tall, but is easily be pruned back to a reasonable height. After blossoming in April, the Sea Buckthorn produces orange-coloured, juicy fruits between August and December that grow in bunches directly on the branches. The fruits usually stay on the shrub throughout the winter and provide a valuable food source for birds. Active agents: The fruits of the Sea Buckthorn contain 10 times more vitamin C than a lemon and strengthen the body’s defences and the immune system. The plant also contains vitamin B12, which can usually only be found in animal products and occurs thanks to a symbiosis with germs on the hull of the fruits. Syrup as a cold remedy: Heat up one kilogram of the fruits and press them through the sieve. After that, stir in some honey for about 20 minutes, until you get a thick mixture. You can take in one teaspoonful of the syrup a couple of times a day. For gargling: Douse about five grams of the fruits with 100 ml of hot water, let it simmer a couple of minutes and strain the brew. In the kitchen: You can use the whole berries, either fresh or dried, as an ingredient for yoghurt, muesli or curd. The sour fruits are also good to eat individual in raw form, or they can be squeezed with skin for further usage.

Natural Location:Originally, the Sea Buckthorn comes from Nepal, and is considered one of the rare plants that can grow on dunes.

Cultivation: Seed propagation indoors is possible throughout the year. To increase the germinability, you should initially keep the seeds in the refrigerator for about six weeks; then, place them overnight in a bowl with lukewarm water for priming. After that, spread the seeds onto moist potting compost, put just a little compost earth on top and cover the seed container with clear film to prevent the earth from drying out. Don’t forget to make some holes in the clear film and take it every second or third day completely off for about 2 hours. That way you avoid mold formation on your potting compost. Place the seed container somewhere bright and warm with a temperature between 20°C and 25° Celsius and keep the earth moist, but not wet. After two to three weeks, the first seedlings will come up.

Place: The Sea Buckthorn prefers sunny places that can even be windy.

Care: The plant doesn’t require any special soil for cultivation. As a garden plant however, it might be a good idea to place a rhizome barrier in the earth.

During Winter: Younger plants should hibernate indoors for the first year, preferably in a bright place with a temperature around 10° Celsius. After planting out next spring, a frost-protection won’t be necessary.

Bonsai ability: No



For all information about plant and cultivation download our international data sheet as PDF file: 15224-hippophae-rhamnoides.pdf



Picture credits:

Because of technical limitations links to picture rights are written as text.

15224-01-Hippophae-rhamnoides.jpg - Beentree - GFDL - http://www.gnu.org/licenses/fdl
15224-K-VS-D.jpg - © Saflax - -
15224-K-RS-D.jpg - © Saflax - -
- - -
- - -
- - -
- - -
- - -
- - -
 

etope-lister