Hippophae rhamnoides Hergo - Sea buckthorn

The female Sea Buckthorn 'Hergo' is a variety of medium to strong vigour that reliably produces, earlier than 'Leikora'. Its medium-sized, yellow-orange fruits ripen from September onwards. Its highly decorative berries are rich in vitamins C, A and E, carotenoids, flavonoids, and oil. Jams, jellies, syrups, and even sauces can be made from them. The bush is very hardy and tolerates poor soils as well as very cold winters. Incorporate it into an informal or defensive hedge not far from a male variety such as Pollmix.

Sea Buckthorn is a member of the Elaeagnaceae family known as Thorny Willow, Siberian Olive, False Buckthorn, and many other names depending on the region. It is native to temperate zones of Europe and Asia. In the wild, it forms a very thorny bush, reaching up to 5 m in height, or even more. It is a pioneering plant, able to grow on mountainsides as well as in dunes. Nodules containing nitrogen-fixing bacteria develop on its roots, indicating excellent adaptation to poor soils. Apart from a few self-fertile varieties, sea buckthorn bears either male flowers or female flowers. It is a dioecious plant. Pollination is carried out by insects. One male plant can pollinate five to six female plants. Female bushes start bearing fruit from the 2nd or 3rd year.
Hippophae rhamnoides 'Hergo' has an arching habit, it is a fast-growing bush reaching a height of 2.5 to 4 m with a spread of 1.5 to 2.5 m. Its deciduous leaves are long and narrow, dark green on top, with a silvery-grey hue underneath. Flowering, which occurs in March-April, is discreet with pale yellowish-white flowers. The yellow-orange fruits, measuring 6 to 8 mm in length, are harvested from September to December. These tangy fruits are rich in vitamin C. They can be used fresh, in jam, jelly, or juice. This bush is extremely hardy (to -30°C), adapts to most soils, even poor and dry ones, and prefers full sun.

The female sea buckthorn 'Hergo' can be planted in groups or in an informal hedge. It fits perfectly in a natural garden. Its tolerance to salty soils and sea spray makes it particularly suitable for coastal areas. It can be associated with tamarisks with Pittosporum tobira and with osmanthus (Osmanthus heterophyllus). Add a male sea buckthorn for pollination.