Growing Sea Buckthorn in Canada
A tough, thorny shrub for cold and dry corners, with bright orange berries that cling to the branch.
Growing sea buckthorn in Canada is mostly a question of getting a female plant and a male one. Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) is native to Europe and Asia. Manitoba Agriculture gives it a range of −43 to 40 °C, and Ontario’s agriculture ministry rates it hardy to Zone 3, about −40 °C.
On the Prairies it is a shelterbelt plant as well as a fruit. The cultivar Indian-Summer was released by the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration shelterbelt centre at Indian Head, Saskatchewan, and was judged suited to the prairie and boreal plain of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
Sea buckthorn at a glance: Plants are male or female, and only females fruit, so plant at least one male; Ontario orchards use about one male to seven females. Give it full sun and well-drained sandy loam. Berries turn orange in late August to early September and hold on tightly, so picking is slow.
Looking for an unusual fruit tree too? See Growing Pawpaw in Canada for a native Canadian tree with a tropical-tasting fruit.
Male and Female Plants
Manitoba Agriculture explains that sea buckthorn is dioecious: each plant is male or female, and only females bear fruit. You cannot tell which you have until it flowers. Ontario’s fact sheet adds that the males grow more upright and the females spread wider.
Pollination is entirely by wind, in mid-May in Ontario, and the berries ripen about 100 days later. Orchards in Ontario plant about one male for every seven females; Manitoba suggests 7 to 12% pollinators, warning that too many males means fewer fruiting plants.
For a home garden, buy plants sold as named female cultivars plus a male, rather than seedlings. Ontario notes that a seedling will not be identical to its mother plant and may turn out male.
Prairie Season Lengths
The Indian-Summer trials put its range where the frost-free season runs about 85 to 130 days. Here is the average season in Prairie cities, from this site’s frost data:
| City | Canadian Zone | Average last frost | Average first frost | Frost-free season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regina | 3a | May 21 | Sep 17 | 119 days |
| Saskatoon | 3a | May 25 | Sep 12 | 110 days |
| Prince Albert | 2b | May 28 | Sep 8 | 103 days |
| Winnipeg | 3a | May 25 | Sep 20 | 118 days |
| Brandon | 3a | May 28 | Sep 15 | 110 days |
| Edmonton | 4a | May 14 | Sep 23 | 132 days |
| Red Deer | 3b | May 19 | Sep 13 | 117 days |
| Calgary | 3b | May 23 | Sep 21 | 121 days |
| Lethbridge | 4b | May 14 | Sep 27 | 136 days |
Frost dates are averages from Environment and Climate Change Canada climate normals. Sea buckthorn flowers before its leaves come out, so check the last frost for your area against the mid-May bloom.
Site and Soil
Full sun. Ontario’s fact sheet says sea buckthorn cannot tolerate shade near larger trees. It does well in deep, well-drained sandy loam with organic matter, and copes with poor, gravelly or salty ground. Both provinces give pH 6 to 7 as ideal.
It is drought tolerant once established but not a desert plant. Manitoba says it does not like dry conditions and does well with 400 to 600 mm of precipitation a year, and Ontario gives 400 mm as the minimum for a good crop. The Indian-Summer trials found it would not tolerate long flooding or poorly drained soil.
Sea buckthorn fixes its own nitrogen, which is part of why it handles poor soil.
Thorns and Suckers
The branches are dense, stiff and very thorny. Ontario’s fact sheet also warns that the plant tends to sucker and form thickets if not kept in check, so give it room and pull suckers where you do not want them. Sizes vary widely: Ontario gives 0.5 to 6 m, Manitoba 2 to 4 m.
Weeds were the main problem in the Indian-Summer trials, so keep the area around young plants clear.
Picking the Berries
Manitoba says the berries turn orange at the end of August or early September, and are hard to pick: ripe fruit stays firmly attached. Ontario reports experienced pickers managing 1 to 1.5 kg an hour, and that the fruit loosens later in the season while its quality drops.
A common way round it, shown in Ontario’s fact sheet, is to cut fruiting branches during pruning and strip the berries indoors. With only a few plants, Ontario says hand picking takes about the same effort as raspberries. Wear gloves; the thorns are sharp.
Manitoba gives a yield of around 5 to 7 kg per plant. Ontario’s fact sheet gives up to two weeks for fresh berries kept cold, at 4 to 6 °C.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a male and a female sea buckthorn?
Yes. Plants are either male or female and only females fruit. Ontario orchards plant about one male for every seven females.
How cold hardy is sea buckthorn?
Manitoba Agriculture gives a range of minus 43 to 40 degrees C, and Ontario rates it hardy to Zone 3.
When are sea buckthorn berries ripe?
Manitoba says the berries are orange and ripe at the end of August or early September.
Why is sea buckthorn hard to pick?
The ripe berries hold tightly to thorny branches. Ontario reports pickers managing only 1 to 1.5 kg an hour.
Does sea buckthorn spread?
It can. Ontario's fact sheet says it tends to sucker and form thickets if not kept in check.
Can I tell a male sea buckthorn from a female?
Not until it flowers. Manitoba notes the sex of a plant cannot be determined before then, so buy named female plants and a male.
What soil does sea buckthorn need?
Deep, well-drained sandy loam is ideal, with a pH of 6 to 7, but it tolerates poor and salty soils. It does not tolerate long flooding.
Sources
- Manitoba Agriculture — Sea Buckthorn Production in Manitoba
- Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness — Introduction to sea buckthorn
- Li, T.S.C. and Schroeder, W.R. — Sea buckthorn: a multipurpose plant (on the PFRA cultivar Indian-Summer), Purdue University New Crops proceedings
- Environment and Climate Change Canada — Canadian Climate Normals (the frost dates in the tables, read from this site’s frost data)