Plant sea buckthorn in early spring with at least one labeled male upwind of the females. Female plants carry the orange berries; a female alone will not fruit.
Plant a male and a female, with the male upwind
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| When | Early spring, while the plant is still dormant, or late fall for bare-root | Do not plant a dried-out bare-root shrub in midsummer heat |
| Sex | One named male for every six to eight females, within about 50 feet, male upwind | Do not plant only females and expect fruit |
| Depth | The same depth as the nursery pot or the old soil line | Do not bury the crown, and do not add nitrogen fertilizer to the hole |
| Spacing | About 6 to 8 feet for specimens; closer in a hedge you can still reach | Do not plant it where you cannot walk the drip line for suckers |
sea buckthorn is wind-pollinated and dioecious: each plant is male or female. Buy named plants labeled for sex. Put the male upwind of the females and within about fifty feet so spring pollen reaches them. [1] [2]
- Choose full sun and ground that drains. Skip a low pocket that puddles after rain.
- Confirm you have a labeled male and at least one female. One male covers about six to eight females. [3]
- Plant in early spring, or set bare-root plants in late fall or winter while they are dormant. Handle the roots as little as you can.
- Dig a hole twice as wide as the roots and no deeper than the old soil line. Backfill with the soil you removed. Do not add nitrogen fertilizer. [4]
- Leave about 6 to 8 feet around a specimen, or plant closer in a hedge. Water in, mulch, and keep the mulch off the stems.
Once the shrub is in, sun and first-summer water are on How to Grow Sea Buckthorn.
Do I need a male plant?
Yes, unless a tag says the shrub is self-fertile. One male pollinates about six to eight females if it stands upwind and within about fifty feet.
How far apart do I plant them?
About 6 to 8 feet for plants you can walk around. A hedge can sit closer, as long as you can still reach the suckers.
Lift a sucker in early spring, or take a hardwood cutting
The fastest extra plant is a rooted sucker. In early spring, while the shrub is still dormant, sever a well-rooted sucker with a spade and move it the same day. That plant keeps the sex of the parent, so a sucker from a female will fruit.
- In early spring, find a sucker with its own roots a few feet from the parent.
- Cut the connecting root below the soil, lift the sucker with as much root as you can, and replant it at the same depth. Water it until it takes.
- To copy a named plant, take hardwood cuttings 8 to 12 inches long from one-year wood in late fall or late winter, wound the base, dip it in rooting hormone, and stick it in a gritty, free-draining mix.
- Keep the mix barely moist until roots form. A cutting from a female stays female.
Plant a labeled male upwind of the females, at the old soil line, and water it in.
FAQ
Can I grow it from seed?
You can, but a seedling takes four to five years to bloom, and you will not know the sex until then. The plant will not match the shrub you picked from. Lift a sucker or take a hardwood cutting instead.
What if I already planted only females?
Add a labeled male upwind and within about fifty feet. Females will not fruit without pollen from a male.
How soon will a new plant fruit?
A named nursery shrub usually fruits in about three to five years if a male is nearby. A rooted sucker is often faster than a seedling.
Related guides
Recommended plants
References
- [1] Raintree Nursery -
https://raintreenursery.com/pages/seaberry-growing-guide - [2] One Green World -
https://onegreenworld.com/sea-berry-growing-guide/ - [3] University of Nevada, Reno Extension -
https://extension.unr.edu/publication.aspx?PubID=2406 - [4] BBC Gardeners' World Magazine -
https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/grow-plants/sea-buckthorn-hippophae-rhamnoides/
This note is part of Hippophae Guides.
More planting notes by plant are gathered in Planting Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors