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Sea Buckthorn

Hippophae rhamnoides

Also known as Seaberry, Sallowthorn, Siberian Pineapple, Sandthorn

At a glance

Family

Elaeagnaceae (oleaster family)

Type

Thorny deciduous shrub or small tree

Parts used

Berries (fruit), leaves, and pressed oil from the pulp and seeds

Size

6 to 20 feet tall, often thicketing and densely thorned

Bloom

Small, inconspicuous yellowish flowers in early spring, appearing before the silvery leaves unfurl

Habitat

Coastal dunes, riverbanks, and rocky mountain slopes across Europe and Asia

Acquisition

Grow or buy

Traditional remedies in HerbSense

Key benefits

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Vitamin C rich berries

Traditionally soothing to skin

Antioxidant-rich fruit

Nourishing winter tonic

Traditional uses

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Sea buckthorn has a long history stretching from Tibetan and Mongolian medicine to ancient Greek horse pastures, where its leaves and berries were said to be fed to horses to give their coats a brilliant shine, which is where the genus name Hippophae, meaning shining horse, comes from. Along the coasts and river valleys of Europe and Asia, the tart orange berries were traditionally pressed into juices and preserves to help see families through the cold, dark months. Herbalists in the regions where it grows wild also turned to the oil pressed from its pulp and seeds as a traditional skin salve. Its ability to thrive in poor, windswept, sandy soil made it as prized for stabilizing eroding land as for the berries themselves.

How to grow & use it

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Pairs well with

✦Rosehip
✦Ginger
✦Honey

Substitutes

✦Rosehip
✦Elderberry

Choose it when

“When the season turns cold and you want a bright, tart burst of orange sunshine steeped into your cup.”

Did you know?

The genus name Hippophae comes from the Greek for shining horse, since ancient Greek horse breeders reportedly fed the leaves and berries to their animals to give their coats a glossy sheen, a practice some historians link to the legend of the winged horse Pegasus.

Safety

The berries and juice are a gentle, widely eaten food, though they're quite acidic and may irritate a sensitive stomach in excess. Concentrated oil or extracts have mild blood-thinning and blood-pressure-lowering effects, so use caution with anticoagulant or blood pressure medication, or before surgery.