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Sea Buckthorn | |
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Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) is a hardy, deciduous shrub which thrives in moist soils and can tolerate cold and extreme conditions. Despite its thorny branches which make harvest challenging by holding the yellow berries tightly, there is lots of potential for commercial production of this shrub. Essentially the entire sea buckthorn plant can be utilized. The fruit can be broken down into three components: 1. Essential oils which are used in nutritional supplements, skin creams, and vitamins; 2. Juice which is used in energy and health drinks; and 3. Pulp which is further broken down and used as animal feed, and by the food, beverage and brewing industries. The leaves are often used in teas and animal feeds, and the bark, along with the above mentioned components, are utilized by the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. Native to Asia, sea buckthorn was used for centuries as a staple food and to cure everything from arthritis to skin disorders. Modern medicine looks to sea buckthorn for its antibiotic, antiflammatory and analgesic properties. Nutritionally sea buckthorn is a good source of vitamins C and E, beta carotene, flavinoids and essential fatty acids. Environmentally, this versatile, quick rooting, nitrogen fixing shrub can be used for planting in degraded soils, to enhance wildlife habitats, in shelterbelts, as erosion control, and in projects such as mine reclamation. There is great potential for the prairie provinces to be the next big center for sea buckthorn production, as plans for a processing plant in central Saskatchewan have already begun to unfold.
Sea Buckthorne | 
Sea Buckthorne fruit |
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For more information about the content of this document, contact Kwesi Ampong-Nyarko.
This document is maintained by Shelley Barkley.
This information published to the web on June 11, 2001.
Last Reviewed/Revised on May 14, 2009.
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