Hippophae rhamnoides Botanica

Sea Buckthorn 'Botanica' is a female variety that stands out from classic German selections with its large fruits. It is also a very productive and early variety with the harvest starting in August. The bush is covered with a multitude of oval, bright yellow-orange berries. They are highly decorative and particularly rich in vitamins C, A, and E, carotenoids, flavonoids, and oil. They can be used to make delicious jams, jellies, syrups, and even sauces for the winter. This Sea Buckthorn is a moderately thorny, fast-growing shrub that tolerates poor soils and very cold winters. Plant it in an informal hedge or a defensive hedge not far from a male variety such as Pollmix.

Sea Buckthorn is a member of the small Elaeagnaceae family, with the most well-known representative being Elaeagnus. The Hippophae genus itself is also poor in species, with H. rhamnoides being the most widespread under names such as Thorny Willow, Siberian Olive, False Buckthorn, and many others depending on the region. It is native to temperate areas of Europe and Asia, where it forms a very thorny shrub in the wild, reaching up to 5m in height or more. It is a pioneer plant capable of growing on mountainsides as well as in dunes. Although not a legume, nodules carrying nitrogen-fixing bacteria develop on its roots, allowing it to thrive in difficult environments. This makes it suitable for planting to regenerate poor soils and protect them against erosion.

Apart from a few self-fertile varieties, sea buckthorn bears either male or female flowers (dioecious plant). Pollination is carried out by insects. Fruit production then requires a plant of the opposite sex, with one male plant able to pollinate five female plants. The berries will then be produced on the female shrubs from the 2nd or 3rd year.
The Botanica variety is a female variety resulting from a German hybridisation program. It can be pollinated by different male varieties. It has a branched, pyramidal, upright habit and reaches a height of 3 to 4m and a width of 2.5m. The upper branches bear very short thorns. The rather inconspicuous spring flowers, once fertilised, develop into oval berries measuring 12.5 by 10.5mm and weighing from 0.7 to 0.85g. From August until early winter, they cover the shrub, which can then rival the beauty of any Pyracantha. The edible berries are very rich in vitamin C (about 30 times more than an orange) and can be quite acidic when raw. They are are used to make jams, syrups, or sauces that pair well with meat and fish. The 'Botanica' sea buckthorn forms a beautiful, flexible mass, covered with narrow, elongated, 5-6cm long leaves, carried by a short petiole. They are arranged alternately on the branches, fairly dark green on the upper side and grey on the underside. This shrub is extremely hardy (down to -30°C) and adapts to most soils, even poor and dry ones, preferring full sun.

Highly decorative in winter thanks to its fruiting, with undeniable nutritional qualities, this Sea Buckthorn will be perfect in a hedge in a natural garden, alongside other wild-looking, nectar-rich shrubs that are beneficial to bees and birds. The male Cornelian Cherry (Cornus mas) with its early yellow flowering and beautiful autumn colours also produces small edible fruits. It is also nectar-rich and particularly useful to bees at a time when there are still few blooms. In the same spirit, the Ballerina Amelanchier will also be a good companion with its magnificent white spring flowering, followed by decorative and edible berries, and its sumptuous autumn colours in red, orange, and purple. In a dry garden, it can be accompanied by the Azarolus Hawthorn or pomegranate trees.