Sea buckthorn got its name from the healing berries that literally stick around its branches. In the wild, it usually grows as a shrub, in horticulture it can be a shrub, and a rather powerful tree, reaching up to 4 m in height. However, the bloom of sea buckthorn is by no means decorative.
Male and female plants
Sea buckthorn belongs to wind-pollinated dioecious plants, which means that only female (pistillate) flowers grow on some of its trees, and only male (staminate) flowers grow on others. It is clear that female plants bear fruit, while male plants only bloom, forming pollen. Therefore, both a female and a male plant must be planted on the site. True, before entering the fruiting period, it is practically impossible to distinguish between them. Sex can be determined by the buds only in the 3rd - 5th year of the plant's life. In males, the kidneys are larger and covered with scales, in females they are much smaller, they have only 2 or 3 scales. Interestingly, single fruits are sometimes set on male plants, but they grow very small and unsuitable for human consumption.
Blooming sea buckthorn
Sea buckthorn blooms even before the leaves bloom, in early or mid-May. On female plants, short clusters bloom, consisting of 2-5 yellowish flowers. Male flowers are a bunch of silvery-brown stamens with such fine pollen that even a light breeze quickly transfers it to female flowers. If you shake a flowering branch of a male plant, it will immediately be enveloped in a cloud of golden pollen. I must say that almost no one notices the flowering of sea buckthorn, since its flowers are too inconspicuous and small. Due to the lack of aroma, they do not attract the attention of bees.
Useful properties of fruits
From the beginning of flowering to ripening of the fruit, it takes from three to three and a half months. Spectacular bright yellow, orange or orange-red berries ripen in August - September and remain on the branches until late autumn. True, it is better to collect them as soon as possible, as there is a danger that they will be pecked by birds. Young plants bring 5-6 kg of berries, but after 2 years the yield increases almost 4 times.
Sea buckthorn is one of the most valuable medicinal plants, the healing properties of which are legendary. Its fruits are the best natural carriers of vitamins, and the bark contains serotonin, which is used as an effective anticancer agent. Sea buckthorn oil helps to reduce or completely stop pain during the inflammatory process, and quick healing of wounds. Gardeners use sea buckthorn fruits to make oil, juice, syrup and alcoholic tincture.
