About Sea Buckthorn

Best known for its vibrant orange berries and needle-like thorns, Sea Buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) is one of nature’s most powerful plants.

 

Sea Buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) is a deciduous shrub or small tree reaching 0.5 – 6 meters in height. It is a wind-pollinated, dioecious species (meaning there are both male plants and female plants) with narrow silver-gray leaves, long, sharp thorns and abundant orange berries. Female trees begin to bear fruit after 3 – 4 years and give maximum yields after 7 – 8 years.

 

Though native to Northern Europe and Asia, Sea Buckthorn is able to grow anywhere in temperate latitudes, from sand dunes near the sea to the Eurasian plateau at 5,200 meters above sea level. It is well-adapted to cold climates and has thrived in Canada since its introduction to this country fifty years ago.

 

Sea Buckthorn is already well known in many parts of the world, where it has been used for centuries to improve overall health and treat a variety of ailments, particularly skin and digestive diseases. The remarkable therapeutic benefits and healing powers of its fruit, bark, seeds and leaves were first noted by several ancient Greek scholars and were later described in classic Tibetan medicinal texts dating from the Tang Dynasty. And today, in the 21st century, scientists and practitioners are utilizing Sea Buckthorn in modern medicine. Studies have validated the ancient texts’ claims of the efficacy of Sea Buckthorn in the treatment of a variety of skin and gastrointestinal disorders, and current research is underway to study the effects of Sea Buckthorn on cancers, cardiovascular diseases and liver diseases.

 

Learn more about how Mont Echo grows, harvests and creates oils in From Our Farm to You....

 

 

Did you know?

 

According to legend, Sea Buckthorn leaves were the preferred food of the mythical winged horse, Pegasus.

 

In the 13th century, Genghis Khan credited Sea Buckthorn with giving his armies incredible strength and endurance.

 

Sea Buckthorn oil was given to Russian cosmonauts as a vitamin supplement and as protection against radiation in space.

 

In 1986, burn victims of the Chernobyl disaster were treated with Sea Buckthorn oil.

 

China designated a Sea Buckthorn juice beverage as their official Olympic team drink for the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games.

 

Known as ‘liquid gold’ in Finland, Sea Buckthorn is often used as a nutritional ingredient in Finnish baby food and can be found in several high-end skincare lines and a variety of functional foods, including juices, beers, and pastries, in Northern Europe.

 

Sea Buckthorn was originally brought to Canada as a shelter-belt plant to provide wind shelter and prevent soil erosion. An actinorhizal plant, it has the capacity to fix atmospheric nitrogen and thus enrich the soil.