I have had one for about ten years and it is quite tart but has almost a citrusy smell whenthe berries are ripe and I walk by. No idea of the name . Magpies love the berries. All I know is you have to have a male and a female.

Might be Indian Summer, I think the PFRA came out with it..right now it seems to be one of the only varieties available in Canada!

I'll check Greenland and Salisbury this spring to see what they carry. Mine is getting pretty old and ragged so may need to get another one.Also the deer are nibbling on it.

Not much help..
I have some growing but nothing producing much.
The Edmonton fruit growing group usually brings some in for the Devonian show,
I have taken some seeds and have some little plants now, these were the thorn-less one's.
I don't think they're invasive, have one large female plant about 10 years old, about 5 foot tall and hasn't spread, need a male plant, I get some berries but not many.

Here is a link that might be useful: Love the pictures

Both my male and female sucker like crazy. I usually have so many berries I have to prop up the branches.Was talking to Tim at Greenland today and they will be getting some in this spring.

Your plants must have some improvements beyond the thorn-less part, Konrad! That is great, Edmonton sure is a great place for gardeners.

I'll have to inquire at some of the Saskatoon greenhouses..for the most part, though, I find they only buy what is common. I would think if they were going to supply sea buckthorn at all, though, it would be advantages to supply (nearly) thornless, larger-berried, non-suckering, sweeter plants. Could just be a sourcing problem, though. The U of S might have more information.

May just have to wait a few years if I want a specific variety, the plants certainly seem to be catching on. I'll be planting my apple trees, some plums, and tending all the new fruit I put in last year, so it isn't like I need more plants at the moment!

I got The Saskatoon Farm's catalog in the mail today; I see that they do have some different varieties available. They say they have "top Russian varieties" available, 3 plants(sexed 1 male, 2 female) for $65. I wish they would specify what their "top varieties" are ha ha. That is vague, they could be almost anything, and they could just put "top" in the title. :/

They also say they have some seedlings available that they have selected themselves from their own research..they are supposed to be large fruited and nearly thornless. You have to buy a minimum of 8 for $9/plant.

Anyone have experience buying from them? Are they good?

How about checking with Little Tree Nursery in Martensville?

Their website lists Sea Buckthorn, although their information hasn't been updated since 2011.

Their priorities for customers are: walk ins, phone calls, and then emails, so you might like to phone them :)

If you have a local nursery go and tell them that Sea buckthorn is "The In " plant as it's being promoted for all it's health properties and they shud order them as people will be wanting them. Even Dr Oz I hear is saying how great they are and that alone is a big plug.

I did order from The Saskatoon Farm, they ship by greyhound, so hopefully my plants(as well as 4 northline saskatoons to add to my own) will arrive safe and sound.

I've bought from Little Tree nursery before, they are notoriously hard to get ahold of! However, I am planning on buying a native plum from them this spring to pollinate my Pembina, so I will definitely ask them about their sea buckthorn's. They usually - but not always - grow the species, and not specific varieties. Fruit is the exception...I'd still be interested in talking to the owner about them though, she is very knowledgeable.

I guess time will tell if you got anything good. About 15 years ago I got the catalog, Evans cherries they promoted as sweet cherries, ..I checked the other day on the web, it was still listed as sweet. I've never bought anything, ..just can't trust this guy.

Buckthorn video from the Saskatoon Farm below.
Oh...he said, some of them can be bitter, I think it should say most are bitter,....another one, he said, one berry has more vitamin C then 10 oranges,...belony!

Oranges have around 53mg /per 100 grams
Buckthorn have around 130mg

So, that would compare,.. eating Buckthorn in the weight of one orange is the same as eating about 2 1/2 Orange.

Here is a link that might be useful: Buckthorn video

Yeah, I watched that video too, and laughed through most of it, what a joke. I just don't know where else to try..if I buy somewhere else I KNOW I'm only getting essentially the species.

At the very least, the Saskatoon's should be what they say they are(I hope they can at least get that right) and the Sea Buckthorn's can't be any worse then what I would get from any greenhouse.

In a couple years I'll have to let you guys know whether I got shafted or not!

If I remember that was the guy with a newer pear variety, "Paul's Pear". I considered it as pears are my favourite fruit. If anyone has tried it and can give feedback it would be appreciated.

I suspect sea buckthorn is particular about moisture, when it wants it and when it doesn't. I bet the drier it is the better it will do.

It is a shelterbelt tree around here, so our annual rainfall is probably plenty for it once it is established. Like anything else, I know it will require watering until established. Supplementing with water while it is forming fruit may change the flavor of the fruit, though.

I got a response back from the Sasktoon farm about their Russian varieties. They said the 2 females are Proxrachnaya and Lubipelskaya, and the male is Pollmix. The problem is, I can't find any information at all on the females. That might mean nothing, or it may mean they are unregistered, very new or very old or just very obscure! *sigh* For $65, I do hope I'm getting something worthwhile having, and they aren't just essentiallly the species.

Hmn..this sounds better, so then they're actually propagated from wood or tissue, do you think they're doing this? Or, you have some seedlings which would make them inferior. Or, they could buy their plants, you might want to ask. I'm sure, for $65.00 you have some customer satisfaction questions and answer leverage, especially when they're small,...oh, how small are they? LOL

Well, I had sent another email asking questions about the varieties characteristics; do they have thorns or are they nearly thornless, size of berry, ease of berry removal etc...but they didn't answer back. I'll send another one asking if these are seedlings or if they are clones..ha ha, they are probably sick of me by now!

I was able to find a little bit of information about them, I think they may have spelled the "P" variety wrong. I found a good Russian variety spelled the same but with a z instead of an x. The "L" variety sounds good too, they are both favorites for commercial productions, so I hope that means ease of picking off the berries.

Good my friend you're THE man!..Let us hear the answer,..oh what size they will be for $65.00 a pop?

LOL, Konrad, I am in fact THE woman. ;) But thanks!

I got a partial response on my previous couple of emails: the plants are started from cuttings, so I'm glad I'm not getting seedlings in this case.

I don't know what size the plants will be, but I'm satisfied with what I've found out so far, so I'm not going to ask them anymore ha ha! I'm afraid they'll charge my credit card more or something. I think $21.50/plant or whatever it works out to isn't too bad if they are actual, good quality, registered varieties. Especially when I can't find much beyond the Indian Summer variety anywhere else!

That sounds good!
OK...Good my friend you're THE woman!
LOL,.. for some reason, most often I assume I'm talking to a man, by now I should know that most people here are woman.

Ha ha, I'm the opposite - I usually assume that most gardeners are women, and I am delighted when I'm wrong!

Honey Berry USA has a new variety available in 2014 that has sparse and soft thorns. Although not available now, sounds interesting,

Here is a link that might be useful: Seaberry / Sea Buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides)

This post was edited by foxgreenfarm on Thu, Feb 28, 13 at 21:49

I have a 10 year old Sea Buckthorn orchard with 200 trees
150 Indian Summer, and 25 each of Russian Varieties.
I find them to be a real "easy care" plant. I provided drip irrigation for the first few years, and nothing since. They are thriving with no fertilizer, irrigation. I have lots of seedlings to give away. I don't know what the shipping would cost. They also grow quick from seed. I will add an email address to my profile if any one needs further info.

Welcome to the forum, braeburn!
The Russian's have been breeding them the longest and have some good stock.
I might be getting some seeds from somebody in Austria who has connection to Russia, he say's some are sweet.

Have you got some which are sweet, if so, how sweet, can you put a hand full in your mouth from the bush? I guess if they were sweet sweet without astringency then they wouldn't be the real deal.
What about thorns when picking, lots, some or thorn less?
Any pictures, what are you doing with these?
As as 10 year old, they're about to take off making allot fruit?

Hi Konrad
I can't for sure remember the two Russian one starts with an "H" the other is called Lukora sp.? it sounds like that any way. My three varieties are in Tree Form not like the Senicis variety which grows in a bush form. All of mine arn't sweet I got them in 2003, and they may have bred some sweeter ones by now. I kind of lost interest when the market didn't materialize. There seems to be a recent interest lately, Re an article in West Mag. and a previous article in Orchard and Vine Mag. The Indian Summer are less thorny, They have been producing very well for the last five years. the orchard is under 2-three feet of snow at the moment. I may wander down with the camera and take some pictures (some still have fruit clinging)
I'll get back later
Chic

Sea buckthorn sorbet is my favorite thing to eat. My second favorite plant right now. Does anyone know where a natural person can buy Thronless Sea Buckthorn varieties? Did hourlong Google searches, not feeling lucky at all

One variety

http://www.boughennurseries.net/index.php?pageid=8&categoryid=84

Jeffries Nursery has two new varieties, Askola and Pollmix. Contact them for more information. Remember seabuckthorn has a preference for clay so plant accordingly.

weeper_11,
how are your sea buckthorn plants doing?

Are you happy with your order from the Saskatoon Farm?

I'm considering purchasing some named varieties of sea buckthorns, I
wonder if I should order from the Saskatoon Farm?

Were you able to establish the variety they sell?

green_go - my sea buckthorn plants are doing well! I watered them regularly during their first year, and once or twice last year. They were very small plugs when they arrived, so they still aren't producing fruit, but they have grown many times in size, so hopefully soon! So I can't comment on the fruit. The varieties are Prozrachnaya and Lubipelskaya, and the male is Pollmix. Supposedly. That is taking their word on it; hopefully they are honest, and aren't just selling me Indian Summer or something(which is available anywhere). There have been some concerns/complaints over the years of the Saskatoon Farm being a bit dishonest in their advertising..if you read earlier in this thread, Konrad talks about that a bit. So I guess, take your chances, if you're willing! So far mine have done fine, but I can't promise that they got the varieties right!

I also bought some Northline saskatoon's from them, and I have to admit, their bareroot plants have done better than my Smoky's and Martin's I had planted 2 years before the Northline's(from a greenhouse). Settled in very quickly, have been more vigorous, and started fruiting decently the first year. Maybe it is just the variety, but I have to admit they have done very well and they sent me generously sized plants.

I believe they ship by greyhound, and some people don't like that. I had some roses shipped by greyhound once, and they had already sprouted and weren't looking that great by the time they arrived. (they did survive though)

EDIT - I looked at this year's Saskatoon Farm catalog; it looks like they no longer have the sea buckthorn's available that I bought. Mine was a set of 3 plants, 2 female, 1 male, for $65(!!) and it was a separate listing from the 'regular' sea buckthorn listing(where you have to buy a minimum of 8 plants for 8-9 bucks/plant). So you would have to phone or email and ask what varieties they are offering. These may be the varieties they selected themselves, so possibly unnamed, but potentially nice quality.

Thank you, weeper_11.

I could not locate their e-mail on the website – they probably removed it. I guess I’ll have to call them to inquire.

bought some Northline saskatoon's from them, and I have to admit, their
bareroot plants have done better than my Smoky's and Martin's I had
planted 2 years before the Northline's(from a greenhouse)

Reason being, Northline is the most vigorous of all Saskatoons.

Did anybody found any thornless sea buckthorns?

To all sea buckthorn lovers! Russians have a self fertile variety of Sea buckthorns. It even has almost no thorns. The name is Chujskaya Rannyaya ( Чуйская ранняя in Russian) or also it may be listed as Chujskaya. Its taste is great, not too sour, one tree gives about 4 kilos of berries.

It will pollinate other varieties just as male does.

unfortunately, I don't know where to get this variety in North America.

I ordered from Boughen Nurseries. They sell a Russian Orange variety, also bought a pollinator:

http://www.boughennurseries.net/index.php?pageid=8&categoryid=84

Wiffletree nursery has a few good varieties listed that I'm thinking of getting next year: Amber Dawn, Gold Rain, Sunny and Tatiana. I remember Sunny and Tatiana from when I was researching the varieties I got from the Saskatoon Farm, and they were considered to be very good. A number of them are supposed to have few thorns.

The varieties I have have grown very nicely over the past few years...I'm hoping for a better harvest this year, last year I only got a couple berries off the one female. That said..it was delicious! Such an unusual flavour, I would definitely eat them fresh (but I do tend to like sour things).

Saskatoon farm is the most beautiful nursery I've been to around here . Was there recently and they have what they call thornless or almost thornless variety and sell in a big size for $75 .i can't remember the variety. He says the berries taste ok also.

I have gained a lot of interest in these plant over last little bit they are amazing. Leikora is only variety I have 3 of they are few years old few feet tall. I'm going to buy a bunch this year and grow in my planters on and around my deck and front of my house. They apparently renitrify the ground around them making them good to have around other trees. You never fertilize them I'm going to try it though lol. I'm definitely buying a few bigger ones and putting in my front.

I had planted a small row of them by the driveway several years ago. They were unnamed thorny varieties I think I got from the pfra (don't remember for sure). We had some drought years and the females all got a 'wilt disease' I'm assuming spread by pollinating insects as it came right with flowering. Thus with just males left we pulled them out and planted Evans (2004). At the time we removed them they were about 5-6 ft. high and had started to sucker. My husband does not like the look of them so the new ones I planted in an out of site area he seldom goes. They are a little close to my poplars so hoping they do ok.