Hippophae rhamnoides Friesdorfer Orange

The Friesdorfer Sea Buckthorn Orange (Hippophae rhamnoides) is a self-fertile variety, bearing large dark orange berries. Seedless and very rich in vitamin C, they can be consumed as jams, jellies or syrups. Sea Buckthorn is a spiny bush with rapid growth, thriving in ordinary or poor soils. Plant it as a free hedge, defensive hedge or in isolation. It is ideally planted in autumn for a harvest starting from September.

Sea buckthorn produces small round or oval berries, orange in colour, with a tangy flavour. Rich in vitamin C and antioxidants, these sea buckthorn berries are consumed in the form of jams, syrups or jellies. They are also used in cosmetics, in the form of oil extracted from the seeds and pulp.

The flowers, very small and green in colour, appear in April before the foliage. Apart from a few self-fertile varieties, sea buckthorn bears either male flowers or female flowers (dioecious plant). Fruiting then requires having a plant of the opposite sex, and a male plant can pollinate three to five female plants. The berries will be produced on the female bushes from the 2nd or 3rd year. The Friesdorfer Orange variety is a self-fertile variety.

Sea buckthorn, not to be confused with the strawberry tree, is found both in mountainous areas and on coastal dunes, as it helps fight soil erosion. It is a dense and spiny bush with rapid growth, reaching a height of 3 to 5 m (9 ft 10 in to 16 ft 5 in). Its dense root system has the particularity of fixing nitrogen in the soil. Its deciduous leaves are narrow and elongated, dark green with a silvery grey underside.

This very hardy shrub can withstand temperatures as low as -30°C and tolerates drought perfectly. In the garden, sea buckthorn can be planted as a free hedge, defensive hedge or in isolation. It will bring a decorative aspect with its orange fruits, which remain throughout the winter.