Hippophae rhamnoides is the botanical name for Sea Buckthorn. This plant is a shrub or small tree (up to 20 feet in height and spread) native to Europe and parts of Asia. It grows on coastal dunes, on screes and along the banks of mountain streams. The leaves are green-grey and scaly. Small, yellow-green flowers are borne in the spring, which in female plants form bright orange fruits in the fall. The species is dioecious (meaning that male and female flowers are formed on different plants). Grow this plant in full sun, in well drained sandy soil. In costal areas it is used to stabilze dunes and slopes. It is hardy in Zones 3-8.

The fruits of sea buckthorn are extremelly rich in vitamins C, E and A and in various antioxidants and extracts of the berries have several claims of medicinal uses from the treatment of cuts and burns to various digestive complaints.

A detailed scientific study of the pharacological properties of sea buckthorn can be found in Science Direct.: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378874111006945.

Consult this blog for a more general description of this species.

Courtesy of NYBG Plant Information Service