Need help selecting a seaberry variety (Hippophae rhamnoides)

Hey all

I want to grow a variety of seaberry but have no first hand experience with them. I'm not super keen on them so I dont want a bunch of varieties, preferably one well rounded one and a good male pollinator. The varieties that stood out to me are: sunny, titan, sirola and inya

I want to know your experience, what varieties are hardy? vigorous? disease resistant? productive? less thorny? and most importantly taste best?

any input welcome

Hi C. W.,

Can you share a little about what zone you are in, what micro climate, soil conditions, guild you are looking to create?

Thank you.

Lee Gee wrote:Hi C. W.,

Can you share a little about what zone you are in, what micro climate, soil conditions, guild you are looking to create?

Thank you.

zone 5, southern ontario, orchard or hedgerow planting, no plans to use a guild technique

I've been very interested in sea buckthorn for quite a while.  Amazingly tough, nitrogen fixing, great health benefits, possible cash crop.... what's not to love?

I finally broke down last week and bought a (very expensive, for me) bottle of 100% organic juice from Amazon.  I was disappointed in the flavor.  It tasted like orange juice gone bad (pretty musty).  (I watered it down and added a little apple juice for sweetening).  I know the berries will hang on the bushes for months and ferment, so I am wondering if they let the berries hang on the tree a little too long or if this is the taste of ripe, rather than over ripe sea buckthorn.

Has anyone else had a better experience?  I would love to grow this plant, but if the flavor drives everyone away, it may be a non starter.

i hear frozen berries is the way to go

I am also interested in Seaberry recommendations. I want to grow a nicely thorny hedge along the road in front of my house that can deter animals and humans but also be edible (at least in theory, probably won't harvest it very seriously) and the nitrogen fixing is a huge bonus due to my poor soil in that area. Not trying to hijack (but I live in zone 8, hahaha) just trying to keep 'er going. I just learned of seaberry last week.

Mick Fisch wrote:I've been very interested in sea buckthorn for quite a while.  Amazingly tough, nitrogen fixing, great health benefits, possible cash crop.... what's not to love?

I finally broke down last week and bought a (very expensive, for me) bottle of 100% organic juice from Amazon.  I was disappointed in the flavor.  It tasted like orange juice gone bad (pretty musty).

The flavour is musty, that's just how they are. Being incredibly sour as well they are really not to everyone's taste. We have them, but they are not a specific variety rather just the wild type that grows round here. Very thorny very sour.

anyone try a variety they would describe as 'good tasting'?

Just giving this thread one more chance. No one has any seaberry input?

There was a thread from 2014 (I think) that had some varieties listed. "Tell me about Sea Buckthorn" was the name of it.

I can't comment on taste because I just started growing these. I know that some cultivars are thornless so that could be a factor in your decision.

Nick Neufeld wrote:I can't comment on taste because I just started growing these. I know that some cultivars are thornless so that could be a factor in your decision.

Me too.
I’m hoping there’s enough chill to get fruit. One Green World is skeptical.