Folk Medicine

Latin name: Hippophae rhamnoides fructus

Usable parts: Berries, and the tips of flowering shoots

Harvest period: From August to September

Constituents: Vitamins C, E, F and P, B group, tannins, flavonoids, carotene3

Action: Appetite inducing, invigorating, antipyretic, invigorating, analgesic3

Application: When it comes to skin problems and of the mucous membrane, the special properties of the sea buckthorn really come into their own. Thanks to their acid flavour, the berries are also highly popular in culinary applications. For example, its freshly pressed juice can be used as a salad topping on bitter lettuce. Its high level of vitamin C turns it into a “vitamin bomb”, greatly helping to ward off nasty ailments throughout the cold winter months.

Risk of misidentification: None, although in its leafless state it could be confused with the Prunus spinosa.

Tips for Domestic Cultivation

Provided the plant’s gender is borne in mind, planting sea buckthorn in the home garden is uncomplicated. To ensure propagation, both genders must be grown at the same time from cuttings or root runners.

Home Use / Recipe Idea

Sea buckthorn vinegar3

Mix four tablespoons of freshly squeezed sea buckthorn juice with two tablespoons of quality balsamic vinegar. Add a teaspoon of honey, another of walnut oil, ½ teaspoon of granulated sugar and some ground black pepper. Mix everything together to make an excellent topping for bitter lettuce salads.


3 “Die Kräuter in meinem Garten” by Siegrid Hirsch & Felix Grünberger; 22nd Edition; Freya Verlag Gmbh
4 “Schwester Bernardines große Naturapotheke”; 1983 Artia Prague; All rights of the German edition held by Mosaik Verlag GmbH