Here is the list of the Best Sea Buckthorn Varieties! From high berry yield to milder taste, we’ve got you covered.
Looking for the Best Sea Buckthorn Varieties to add to your garden? Check out our top picks for female and male sea buckthorn plants, including high-yield options like Frugana, Hergo, and more.
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Sea Buckthorn Profile
The Sea Buckthorn plant (Hippophae rhamnoides) is a unique fruit-bearing species in the Elaeagnaceae family, native to Europe and Asia. While primarily used for soil and wildlife conservation, it also produces delicious, tangy berries packed with nutrients.
Often referred to as Seaberry plants, these Buckthorn varieties share similar characteristics. Keep reading to learn more about Sea Buckthorn and determine if it’s the right plant for you.
Best Sea Buckthorn Varieties
Sea buckthorn has cultivated varieties for gardens, but male and female plants are sold separately because of their dioecious nature.
- To accurately locate each type and variety of sea buckthorn in your plantation, it is essential to keep a close watch on their placement and whether they are male or female.
- Developing a system to differentiate between cultivars will aid in the overall analysis and understanding of your annual harvests.
- While female sea buckthorn produces fruits, subtle signs can differentiate male and female plants.
- One can easily differentiate them when the fruits fully develop on the branches.
- Alternatively, one can identify them by examining the different flower buds that appear in early May.
- The male plant’s flower bud resembles an upside-down pinecone, whereas the female has a tiny yellow pistil that emerges from the young leaves.
- Another method to identify a male plant is by observing slight differences in the tone and shape of mature leaves, although this is not as obvious as the other methods.
When selecting a specific type, it is crucial to consider important factors. Here is a summary of the best sea buckthorn varieties for your garden.
Female Sea Buckthorn Varieties
The most popular sea buckthorn variety is female, as they produce berries. The plant blooms with light green flowers from March to April, and the berries are ready for harvesting from August to September. Below are some of the best female sea buckthorn varieties we recommend.
1. Frugana
The ‘Frugana’ sea buckthorn variety has an upright, vigorous, and productive growth, which can grow up to 13 feet tall. It has limited branching and thorns and quickly regenerates after pruning. However, it may break easily in the wind. The berries ripen at the beginning of August, and it has a high yield of milder-tasting fruits.
2. Askola
This vigorous, healthy plant can grow up to 16 feet tall without pruning. It has a moderate thorn count and regenerates well after pruning but can be susceptible to breakage in windy conditions. The variety has a high berry yield with a sweet and sour taste and is particularly rich in vitamin C.
3. Leikora
This sea buckthorn variety has a strong, compact, and broadly upright growth pattern. It regenerates well after pruning and produces dark orange, droplet-shaped berries that ripen later than other varieties, usually between early September and the end of October.
4. Hergo
‘Hergo’ has a medium and upright growth with heavy branching, which can slightly overhang while bearing fruit. It regenerates quickly after pruning and has strong weather resistance. This variety has an especially high berry yield, with rich and flavourful-tasting fruits. However, it should be harvested quickly as the berries may rot if left too long.
Note: For female sea buckthorn plants to produce berries, they require pollination from a nearby male plant.
Male Sea Buckthorn Varieties
In order for female sea buckthorn plants to bear fruits, a male sea buckthorn plant needs to be present nearby. These male plants are commonly sold as ‘Pollmix‘ varieties that are specifically bred for high pollen production. It’s worth noting that a single male plant can pollinate up to six female plants.
5. Pollmix
Male sea buckthorn plants, unlike females, do not produce fruits but are quite hardy. These plants usually bloom in April with brown-orange flowers and produce abundant pollen.
There are four types of Pollmix plants that vary in their flowering periods and thorn density. These types are;
- ‘Pollmix 1’ blooms very early and has almost no thorns
- ‘Pollmix 2’ has mid-early flowering and is heavily thorned
- ‘Pollmix 3’ blooms mid-late and has very few thorns, and
- ‘Pollmix 4’ has mid-early flowering and a low density of thorns
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Classification Of Sea Buckthorn Varieties According to Country of Origin
- Sea buckthorn cultivars originating from Germany often yield small, sour berries covered with tiny stellate hairs on their skin. These characteristics make them generally unsuitable for use in edible products. For instance, a Leikora variety would be better suited for extracting oil for use in cosmetic products.
- Russian sea buckthorn cultivars are renowned for their exceptional taste and lack of thorns along the branches, which makes them easy to harvest manually. However, these varieties are prone to weakening over time, resulting in a reduced lifespan of production. It’s common for these trees to die out after several years or to produce fewer yields over time.
- Sea buckthorn Varieties originating from Canada, such as Harvest Moon, Indian Summer, and Orange September, are capable of producing bountiful harvests for several years. Additionally, these varieties typically have very few thorns along the branches, making them easier to harvest.
- Latvian sea buckthorn cultivars are known for their strength and vitality, lasting up to 15 years or more. These larger varieties produce abundant yields annually if harvested correctly. They contain high levels of carotenoids (10-18 mg/100g) and are incredibly juicy. With an average weight of 80-110g per 100 fruits, they produce the largest sea buckthorn berries. Furthermore, these varieties have a smooth texture, without any stellate hairs, and are exceptionally delicious. The average oil content of these berries ranges from 4.7% to 6.4%.
Here is the list of “top” Sea Buckthorn varieties.
Best in flavor for brewing beers and kombuchas;
- Orange Energy (Russian Cultivar)
- Sunny (Latvian Cultivar)
- Caprice (Germain Cultivar)
- Harvest Moon (Canadian cultivar)
Best in flavor for juice blends and edible goods;
- Gold Rain (Prozracnaya) (Latvian Cultivar)
- Sunny (BOTANICHESKAYA LJUBITELSKAYA) (Latvian Cultivar)
- Chuyskaya (also known as Star of Altai) (Russian Cultivar)
- Altaiskaya (Russian Cultivar)
- Prevoskhodnaya (Russian Cultivar)
- Mary (MARIJA BRUVELE) (Latvian Cultivar)
- Inya (Russian Cultivar)
According to oil content for cosmetic and supplement purposes;
- Tatiana (Latvian Cultivar)
- Mary (MARIJA BRUVELE) (Latvian Cultivar)
- Leikora (Germain cultivar )
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