Male sea buckthorn ‘Lord’ - Zone 4

Sea buckthorn prefers slightly acidic (pH 6.4 to 6.8), sandy, and well-drained soils. This species requires full sun exposure to survive. Sea buckthorn does not tolerate shade and tends to lose its leaves, or even die, in overly shady conditions. It is best to use these thorny shrubs along the edge of a property to guide the movement of macrofauna. Since the shrub is capable of fixing atmospheric nitrogen in the soil, it tolerates poor soils quite well.

At maturity, this shrub is 10 to 12 feet tall.

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 has both male and female organs). Male sea buckthorn plants are therefore necessary at a ratio of 1 male plant for every 6 female plants to achieve good fruit production. Sea buckthorn is wind-pollinated. It is therefore advisable to place the male plant upwind of prevailing winds.

Although little information is available in Canada on its origin, the 'Lord' variety is of Russian genetic origin and was developed in Europe.