The keyword here is "seedling". In the early 1990's I got ten seedling seaberries from Oregon Exotics, and got the same results as hemnancy. Cultivars from 1GreenWorld were successful but require patience as the plant blooms on 3 and 4 year-old wood. Get a certified male. I assume you know what the blossoms look like, they are very subtle and can occur as early as March. At least you have plenty of space. When picking seaberries, first break off the tip of the "thorns", they occur quite predictably along the branches. This speeds up picking and reduces yelling. My seaberry fruits have filled out and will be turning color soon.

I'll try that shriveled goumi thing next year, sounds interesting. I just finished the last of my refrigerated fruit today.

If the Sea Buckthorn fruits on three and four year old wood, then how can they harvest the fruit by cutting branches as I have read is a good way to get the fruit? doesn't that mean there will be no fruit the following years?

Are the suckers that appear difficult to dig out and get rid of? How about the thorns, are there some varieties with less thorns than others? What is the best way to deal with the thorns? Easy to break off????

The Seaberries facinate me. I just can't get over the pictures of them in the One Green World Catalog but so far have managed to resist ordering them.

Resistance to seaberries is futile.

The method of cutting off entire branches and freezing them to then knock off the berries is done on a large scale involving acres of seaberries, or at least dozens of plants. Doing selected branches in this manner allows time for grow-back, and the annual yield remains consistent.

The "suckers" are easy to get rid of, just stab the ground near the sucker to interrupt the main root and yank it up. Basal suckers near the main plant stem can be pruned off.

The "thorns" are not at all like a rose thorn; they are needle-like. When harvesting seaberry fruit, first break off (by hand--easy) 1/4 inch of the thorn tips; there will be dozens per branch and hundreds per plant, but the picking will go faster. If you are real careful and can tolerate some pain, go for it without breaking the thorns. Only very minor amounts of blood are lost.

The home grower with a handful of plants will have a variable harvest from year-to-year because when the plants get big and out of control, they will require much pruning.
It is ideal if you have a lot of space and a ladder.

Make sure they are in crummy but well-drained soil and don't use any fertilizer.

They are a very handsome plant and showy during fruiting;
the juice is excellent but needs sweetening as the raw juice is as tart as a lemon. Simple hand-crank food mills and motorized auger-type juicers are good for processing this fruit.

Been wondering what goumi is like?

Here is a link that might be useful: goumi

I've been intrigued for years by the description of seaberries in the OGW and Raintree catalogs, but didn't think it would be worth the bother for the handful of berries that we'd be likely to use. But we just bought a juicer (the kind that grinds up the fruit or vegetable and expels the juice by centrifugal force, like they use at juice bars to make fresh carrot juice), so I have been reading the 2004 catalogs with a fresh eye.

A combination seaberry-apple juice should have a good balance of tartness and sweetness (has anyone tried this?). Assuming that the flavors are compatible, the main question is, what are seaberry seeds like? You can put fruit through the juicer seeds and all if the seeds are soft enough (e.g., apples, oranges, and cranberries); if the seeds are hard, they must be removed (e.g., peaches, cherries, and mangos). What are seaberry seeds comparable to?

Thanks for the help!

I would say seaberry seeds are comparable in hardness to apple seeds. They are black, 2 to 3 mm long and 1 mm wide and come to a definate point on one end. The seeds are used in commercial products.

In a juicer, you would end up with seed particle sediments that would settle to the bottom of the container quite quickly or could be filtered out. I ran my small 18-ounce crop of seaberries through an auger-type juicer last summer with good results.

I notice tht most of posts here are from the west. I have met few people who have success with seaberries in the east.
(including me) I think it may have something to do with the soil and damp.

Can anyone confirm this?

What amendments do you all use for seaberries

Like most plants, seaberries appreciate good drainage. If the soil is totally lacking in minerals it may be neccessary to amend, but seaberries excel in very difficult conditions in the wild, such as sandy riverbanks in northern China, near salt water, etc.

For good fruiting, I have seen 20 inches of annual rain mentioned. Here in Portland, OR (a damp place), I have grown them in annual precips of 30 to 64 inches, this range did not have any noticable effect on them.

My city lot is heavy clay, so for the seaberries I refilled an area 5x18 feet about 18" deep (for 6 plants) with half of the removed clay, pumice, sand, ground bark, and a little Ironite and greensand and bone meal. No nitrogen as the seaberry root "fixes" this in the soil much as a legume would.

I will say that when I replaced two plants (to increase my seaberry varieties), they have not competed well with the established plants at a spacing of 30 inches. In the One Green World orchard, I have sen them spaced at 6 or 8 feet.

One Green World has some new Seaberry Varieties in their new 2004 Catalog they call Buryatian Varieties. What appeals to me about these newer varieties is that they all are supposed to be dwarfs and grow only 3-6 feet tall. That would be great for us with smaller gardens as I read that the Seaberries can get pretty big.

I do have a male that I bought this fall from Forest Farm. I picked the male from them as I was already getting an order so an added plant cost no extra shipping. Plus this male is supposed to be dwarf, only 6 feet so I figgured this would be the start of my Seaberries. I also had never seen an actual Seabury shrub and so why not. But the fact that it only grew 6 feet instead of the 10=14 feet usuall mentioned for them was really it.

Now, of course, I really do need those female Seaberry shrubs.

I live a short distance from 1 Green World and hopefully will be able to view these new varieties in their orchard.

Larry Gene -- Thanks for your reply regarding the hardness of seaberry seeds. If they are no harder than apple seeds (i.e., you could mash them with your molars or cut them in half with a sharp knife), then they should go right through our "Juiceman" type (but not Juiceman brand) machine just fine, ending up in the pulp basket. (Anything you could break your teeth on, like peach pits, would have to be removed before juicing.)

So, assuming that the bushes are really as easy to grow as the catalogs say, and the crops are really that huge, and the berries that tasty and nutritious -- what's not to grow?

Before I plant any, though, I'll check back here and see how my fellow east-of-the-Mississippi-ers are doing with theirs.

More news on Sea Buckthorn. On the DNA Gardens Website they state new thornless varieties are coming in the fall of this year. Scroll down to the Sea Buckthorn section on the link for more info.

Here is a link that might be useful: DNA Gardens

That is potentially exciting. Thanks for the link.
I looked up in my records an e-mail I sent to Mr. Gilbert of One Green World nearly 3 years ago that was an excerpt from a website describing many Chinese varieties of thornless seaberry, the link is now different subject matter. Whoever gets the jump on thornless seaberries might corner the market.

Aren't these plants seductive in the catalogs?

What I'm picking up about seaberries from this thread (of vital importance to my planting ideas):
1. Don't think of them as a shrub, think of them as a small tree.
2. Gloves and long sleeves are a requirement for cultivation.
3. Plant somewhere that my 3-year old won't wind up a pincushion.

What is the heat tolerance of these two plants? My region of Oklahoma gets a lot of 95+ heat and extended periods of no rain (the water bill is frightening, given my kiwi's thirst...). Am I conspired to struggle with sea berries (my choice of the two) due to climate?

Oklahawg: Right on all three counts. Seaberry is not like cactus, or even a rosebush, but it can bite. Break off the tips of the needle-like thorns during harvest for comfort.

One possible problem with Seaberry for you is a late frost; the blossom is very delicate and the plants bloom in april.

So far my only Seaberry is a small male shrub I bought from ForestFarm as their tube size last fall. It came thru our nasty winter with no problems, even though I planted it in a container late in the Fall.

My goumi fruit is nearly full-sized but has not turned color yet.

My 'Hergo' and 'Dorana' seaberries are heavily fruited this year, the berries are still filling out.

The oldest of my Goumi shrubs, 6 of them which are in a hedgerow are doing very well this year. They have fruit on them but of course it's not ripe yet. I did not get to taste them last year so am really looking forward to it this year.

I've taken the plunge and have both growing happily in my yard. Of course, we've only had a couple of days of 90+ heat and the nights are still reasonably cool. They are reasonably sturdy plants, which is pleasing. And, they will take up less room than the traditional fruit offered at local stores--peaches and apples.

Well, I had nothing to go on about the taste of Goumi except the descriptions in the Catalogs (and we all know you can't always believe what they say) and the descriptions of others.

I ate a whole bunch of my Goumi fruit today. I wish I could describe it but it doesn't taste like anything I can compair to too. Last week I tried one and it was too sour so I waited until this week. I ate the ones that were very red and alittle soft. If you eat them before this, they are extremely zesty. At this stage they have a tartness mixed with a sweetness that tastes WONDERFUL to me. Yumm, yumm. Glad I put in 6 of these in a hedgerow and three more (not fruiting yet) a year later in another spot.

Rita, a better experience with your goumi than your honeyberry, I take it:)

Figures that I've got 3 honeyberry but only one goumi. Of course, 3 honeyberry is about the same as one goumi, when comparing full-size plants.

I have a question. The Goumi is related to the Russian Olive and Autumn Olive, right? Is anybody seeing a problem with the Goumi naturalizing? Russian and Aumumn Olive is such a big pest here that I have been afraid to plant anything related to them.

Of all the things I have planted in the last three years of doing my major garden renovation, and that includes many shrubs and such to provide fruit and shelter for backyard songbirds as well as fruit for people, the Honeyberry is the absolute hands done worst thing I have ever planted. The shrubs are not particulaly appealing, the birds don't even eat the fruit, and I think it's awfull. Really does taste like a VERY unripe small blandly SOUR blueberry. YECK!!!!

On the positive side, the plants are no care, simply plant them and foreget them. Plus they take a good amount of shade and still fruit.

I am sure lots of people might not like the taste of the Goumi. It is a very unique taste and the sweet and sour taste lingers in your mouth long after you have eaten the fruit. I have been munching on them and love them. I much prefer the Goumi to the Serviceberry which is also ripe now so I have been eating on them too. Of course the Serviceberry is much more neutral in taste and a safer bet for friends to taste test.

The Goumi has one big seed in the middle of the fruit so the seeds are easy to spit out. The shrub is quit attractive with nice deep green leaves with a kinda silvery underside. The flowers, when they bloom aren't much to look at. You won't even notice them unless you were looking closely and they are about the size of Autumn Olive Flowers but don't have the sweet smell of the Autumn Olive.

I never noticed any scent on my Goumi blossoms.

So I have been eating the Goumi fruit. I can say the longer you leave them, the sweeter they get. They still have the sour in there but its balanced with more and more sweet. You can taste both flavors when you eat them. When I first tasted them, they were not ripe enough and all you got was the sour. That really puckers the mouth!

I really, REALLY like the taste of these. Of course, I eat my red currants fresh right off the bush and most people say that they are too sour but I think they taste very good.

Most SBT (seabuckthorn) grow 12 to 16 feet. Do not use nitorgen. Does not like competion for space or sun. Mulch is good. Scientist around the world are very interested in developing sea buckthorn for commercial use saying it is one of the plant worlds richist and usefull of shrubs. The Chinese have over 200 uses from every part of the plant, living and harvested. Get on the internet and check it out. I have over 250 growing and will harvest my first berries this year. The leaves make delicious green tea and is richer than ginseng or green tea which it tastes like. The berries are extremly rich and I cannot begin to tell you how rich here. I'le give you an idea. Vitamin C... Oranges 30 units per 100gms SBT 180/1200 units of vitamin C per 100gms. The bitter orange taste. Sea Buckthorn Seabuckthorn Hippophae rhamnoidesL

Great screening plant, lots of suckers and all of mine seem to be on the tall side. They seem to like highly drained site and either drip or carefull attention to watering as I lost males 3 years in a row, probably due to heavy soil. All of the varieties I have (5 named and 3 different seedling stocks)are tall and thorny. This is a nitrogen fixing, serious plant that can easily get out of control. I hope to use mine to augment/replace my deer fence, but I plan to mow a wide strip on both side to keep the suckers down. In europe it is considered invasive and can make sand dune/ beach access a problem. A great edible landscape/security system plant, but not a pretty lawn specimen, IMHO.

Had an initial small crop of seaberry "Star of Altai" this year that was edible fresh without sweetening. The fruit ripened in June--several weeks ahead of older varieties. Most people will prefer to sweeten it a little.

Anybody know how to start seaberry and/or goumi from seed? I found seed for both at a webpage called "Sand Mountain Herbs;" the packet says "www.OutdoorTuff.com" but I think the link I found them on was "www.sandmountainherbs.com" ... but not at all sure what sort of soil to start them in, how wet, how warm, how much light?

Here in Arkansas Ozarks on top of a ridge, we have good drainage, warm summers, and plenty of space ... but lots of rocks and clay soil. The idea of using seaberry as a fence to keep out deer is very appealing. Don't like deer!!!

Good info, hjdez, about using sea buckthorn leaves for tea. If I continue not to get fruit at least I can make tea.

I have an Elaeagnus ebbingei, silverberry, a relative of Goumi, and it smells really wonderful when it blooms in the fall, and wafts quite a distance. Too bad Goumi's are not as fragrant. I saw fruit on a silverberry in Seattle but so far mine has not had any. It is edible but not as good or abundant as Goumi fruit.

Speaking of fruit, I get a lot better results with my Aronias and I can blend the cooked fruit and strain out the skins and seeds to make a nice gelatin dessert with it.

Saw Seabery shrubs for sale today at my local upscale nursery. They had 'Lenoka' (maybe misspelled by me) and it did not seem to have any thorns. Not leafed out yet.

Young seaberry shrubs may not have any significant thorns. I am familiar with the variety "Leikora".
How much did they want for such a plant?

I don't remember. I will look next time I am there.

They were marked $34.95. Much too expensive if you ask me. I didn't buy any.

of my three, two have thorns one is thornless and looks a little different in growth as well. I'd describe it better, but it jsut started pouring and I'm not going out there for any reason right now.

~Chills

I started growing Sea Buckthorn by seed this year. I tried to grow them before and I couldn't get them to germinate.

I put them in potting soil and water when the soil feels dry. I put the pot containing the seeds outside in early March to let the seeds go through daily high and low temperatures and I think that's why I had such luck. I have 10 of them with 4-6 leaves on them. They're about 2 - 2 1/2 inches tall.

Getting seaberry fruit via seedlings is a long and trying process. With 10 plants you will likely get both sexes, but it will take several years for them to bloom, and the fruit quality is unpredictable. Set your hopes on a nice foliage plant, eventual fruit is a bonus. Fallen seaberry leaves make an excellent mulch/soil amendment.

The spines will keep the neighborhood kids from hopping your fence as well!

Indeed, I will be using my 50 seedling seaberries as a barrier hedge. I also am looking into buying some cultivars, probably ones like "Star of Altai" which Larry described. Goumi sounds interesting, but I'm more interested in the higher yielding autum olive; not sure whether its tastes better/worse than goumi. Autumn olive and seabuckthorns I have bought this year seem to be quite vigorious, but the honeyberry I also bought this year has lagged in our dry, hot summer.

My seaberries did not seem to like where I put them. They were seedlings and about 2 1/2 - 3 feet tall when I planted them. By the end of the season they seemed to have really suffered. They lost almost as many leaves through the growing season due to stress as they had to lose at the end of the summer.

I'm hoping they established and come back next year. I may move one of them in the spring to give the other 2 a better chance.

I put in 2 Goumi two years ago. One bloomed this year, the other did not. I had no fruit set and the blooms were scentless as far as I could tell. The second bush grew well this year and I'm hoping both will bloom next spring.

~Chills

Here in NC, I have had 3 sets (one male, one female) of sea berries die. I have sandy, acidic soil. From what I read, they should have been happy. I don't know what it is, but they sure didn't like my yard! Intersting to learn others in the East have had problems.

My goumi, on the other hand, is GREAT!! It is hard to wait until the berries get ripe, and eat them when they are way tart, but if I am able to wait (and if the birds leave me any), they really sweeten up. They make great wine, too. (That way you don't have to bother separating out the pits.)

The birds are fierce competition on the goumi and the serviceberries.

The goumi is beautiful. The leaves keep their color longer and stay on the tree longer than anything else in the yard.

I just checked and the Goumi and apple trees are the only trees (or bushes) in my yard which still have their leaves.

STubborn things...

~Chills

If anyone in Seattle would like to take a look at the Goumi, there are some specimens at the Kuboto Gardens near the Red Bridge. They are kept about 3-4 ft tall and make a handsome but easily overlooked hedge. I tasted the berries on the shrub once and quite liked their complex, sour flavor. They taste similar to the Cornelian Cherry fruit that grows nearby (but develops later). According to Raintree, they are not self-pollinating.

Here is a link that might be useful: Jim's Plants on Artdish

OK, I went back there this weekend to check them out. They are really more like 7-8 ft tall and are flowering now.

Do you guys know about this book by Lee Reich?:

Here is a link that might be useful: Uncommon Fruits Worthy of Attention: A Gardener's Guide

The goumi is a very nice bush, I think ours never got over six and a half feet tall and not that wide either and it's older than I am at 28. It produces very heavily every year. My parents and I would go out and pick berries until we had each a bucket full when I was little and exploring the yard I'd always eat right off the bush. They do have pits, but they're good to snack on and I've heard they make a good jam too. Rather tart and with a rough textured skin, but sweet.

The goumi continue to impress. They don't get out of hand. The robins love them and generally get most of them. Since I first posted here I have purchased two others for a shadier spot in the front yard. They are doing well also.

The seaberry are another story. They root right underneath the surface of the yard, and have yet to meat a landscape timber or other barrier they couldn't master.

Suddenly, one of the plants became very ill. I was totally stumped. The neighbor commented, weeks later, that he had a strange "weed" growing that took him several doses of roundup to kill. Aha! It came back some (it was over 6 feet tall when the roundup was applied) but new growth from the ever-expanding roots is a problem. I may try a large pot (in an attempt to contain the roots) else I'm done with them.

Birds love them and they are tasty to me, but the pain of containing them is outrageous.

Thanks so much for all the information on the sea buckthorns and their thuggish habits! I was going to try one, but after these reviews I see there is no need!

I just tasted my first goumi berries. They are not what I expected - no flavor. The goumi bush is very pretty though. Seaberries on the contrary, have great flavor and ugly bushes, and they need to be controlled, true.

Does anybody have tips on pruning goumi? My specific question is: on what age wood does goumi flower? If it's first-year wood, then it would be okay to give the plant a good, across-the-board whack to keep its size in check, without completely losing production. (Right?) But if it flowers on older wood, that lazy method wouldn't be a good idea. Thanks in advance for your help!

sea buckthorn sends very aggresive underground "roots" that spread around and sprout up with more plants , the fruits are bitter and somewhat flavorful