The lemon of the North - vitamin provider of the North
Sea buckthorn, a vitamin C powerhouse, is often called the "lemon of the north" and even wins the comparison with more than ten times the vitamin C content. With its thorny, reddish-brown branches, narrow, silvery leaves, and bright orange berries, it's also an attractive deciduous ornamental plant for any garden. It can reach a height of several meters, but it grows slowly and can be easily kept in check by pruning. Its long roots allow it to take root even in dry, sandy locations where few other plants thrive. After flowering in April, the juicy, orange berries ripen between August and December, growing in clusters directly on the branches. The berries usually remain on the shrub throughout the winter, providing a valuable food source for birds during the colder months. When planted as a sea buckthorn hedge, it develops a dense canopy and serves as a nesting site and shelter for birds. The sour berries are rarely eaten raw, but can be gently pressed and processed with the peel on. Since many vitamins are fat-soluble, sea buckthorn provides the fat along with the berries, allowing the body to process the nutrients directly.
Natural habitat: Originally from Nepal, sea buckthorn is one of the few plants that thrive on dunes. However, it can also be found in mountainous regions along stream banks and, of course, in gardens.
