Female sea buckthorn ‘Eva’ - Zone 3

Sea buckthorn prefers slightly acidic (pH 6.4 to 6.8), sandy, and well-drained soils. This species needs full sun exposure to survive. A sea buckthorn plant does not tolerate shade and tends to lose its leaves, or even die, in overly shady conditions. Since the shrub is capable of fixing atmospheric nitrogen in the soil, it tolerates poor soils quite well. The shrub can sucker.

For small quantities, sea buckthorn is harvested by hand, starting from the inside of the branch outwards, to avoid thorns. For large quantities, it is possible to cut the sea buckthorn branches and put them in the freezer.

The habit and vigor of sea buckthorn plants vary depending on the plant's origin (Canada, Russia, Latvia, Germany). Sea buckthorn can be vigorous and tend to sucker. At maturity, this shrub grows 12 to 15 feet high, but it can be pruned to keep it smaller.

Sea buckthorn is a dioecious species, meaning that an individual plant bears either male or female flowers, and none of its flowers are perfect (a botanical term meaning that a single flower possesses both male and female organs). Therefore, male sea buckthorn plants are necessary at a ratio of 1 male plant for every 6 female plants to achieve good fruit production. Sea buckthorn pollination is wind-driven, so it is advisable to place the male plant upwind of prevailing winds.

According to several Finnish websites, the 'Eva' cultivar is said to have originated from a cross between a wild Finnish sea buckthorn from the Tornio region and a large-berried Russian sea buckthorn cultivar.