Hippophae rhamnoides Frugana - Sea buckthorn

Sea Buckthorn 'Frugana' is a female variety of Hippophae rhamnoides known for its early fruiting. It is also a productive variety, especially when it receives plenty of sunlight. From mid-August, its medium-sized light orange fruits, rich in vitamin C, can be harvested. They are commonly used to make marmalade, jams, juices, and purees. The spiny bush, which produces few suckers, maintains an upright habit. Plant it as an informal hedge or a defensive hedge near a male variety such as Pollmix.

Sea Buckthorn 'Frugana' is a horticultural variety selected by H.-J. Albrecht in Berlin in 1986. The wild species, Hippophae rhamnoides, belongs to the Elaeagnaceae family. It is also known by various names such as Thorny Willow, Siberian Olive, False Buckthorn, depending on the region. This plant is native to temperate regions of Europe and Asia, where it naturally grows as a very thorny deciduous bush. It is a pioneer plant that can thrive on mountainsides as well as in dunes. Despite not being a Leguminous plant, it develops nodules containing nitrogen-fixing bacteria on its roots, enabling it to grow in challenging environments. This characteristic makes it suitable for planting to rehabilitate poor soils and protect them from erosion.

Apart from a few self-fertile varieties, Sea Buckthorn bears either male or female flowers (dioecious plant), pollinated by insects. Fruiting will only occur in the presence of a nearby male plant. One male plant can pollinate five to six female plants. Berries will be produced on female bushes from the 2nd or 3rd year onwards.

The female Sea Buckthorn 'Frugana', after an establishment period, grows rapidly into an upright bush that can reach a height of 4m and branches vigorously. Its branches are spiny, its narrow, lanceolate, silvery leaves are attractive from spring to autumn. The discreet yellow flowers appear in late April and May. The medium-sized, bright orange fruits ripen from mid-August. They are rich in vitamins C, E, F, K, P, as well as folic acid, provitamin A and D, and various macro and microelements. These berries, with a vitamin C content four times higher than that of blackcurrants, are suitable for making jams, juices, purees, preserves, and syrups. In the garden, they attract numerous bird species. The deciduous foliage is absent in winter.

Sea Buckthorn 'Frugana' is a highly decorative bush due to its fruiting and foliage. Like other varieties of Sea Buckthorn, it is perfect for a hedge in a natural garden. To complement it, consider, for example, a male Dogwood (Cornus mas) with very early yellow flowering, which also produces edible small fruits or an Amelanchier Ballerina with white spring flowering followed by both decorative and edible berries, and very colourful autumn foliage. In a very dry southern garden in summer, it can be paired with Crataegus azarolus or Azarole Hawthorn or Pomegranates.