Hippophae rhamnoides, also known as sea buckthorn,[2][3]: 277  sandthorn, sallowthorn or seaberry, is a species of flowering plant in the family Elaeagnaceae, native to cold-temperate regions of Eurasia.

The plant is used in the food and cosmetics industries, in traditional medicine, as animal fodder, in horticulture, and for ecological purposes.

[2] The oval or lightly roundish fruits grow in compact grapes varying from pale yellow to dark orange.

[6][12] These subspecies vary in size, shape, number of main lateral veins in the leaves and quantity and color of stellate hairs.

[12] These regions include the Baltic Coasts of Finland, Poland, Latvia, and Germany,[12][15][16] the Gulf of Bothnia in Sweden, as well as coastal areas of the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.

[6] H. rhamnoides has also recently been planted in countries such as Canada, the United States, Bolivia, Chile, Japan and South Korea.

The fruit pomace can be used to obtain oil, natural food color (yellow/orange) or jam, while the juice is further processed and packaged.

[8][29] H. rhamnoides fruits have also been used in the traditional Austrian medicine internally as tea, juice, or syrup for treatment of infections.

[30] Hippophae rhamnoides leaves and fruit residues (left after oil extraction) can be used for feeding livestock.

The H. rhamnoides plant is particularly drought- and salt-tolerant and can thus be successfully used for land reclamation, against further soil erosion, as shelterbelt or in agroforestry.

[35] This process supports soil fertility by increasing nitrogen content, along with added phosphorus and organic matter.

[36] Additionally, as sea buckthorn plantations age, soil fertility improves, evidenced by elevated carbon and nitrogen accumulation[37] This progressive soil enhancement makes sea buckthorn valuable for land restoration, particularly in degraded temperate regions.

Sea buckthorn can be used for land reclamation, alongside trees like pine, larch, black locust, alder, sycamore maple, manna ash, silverberry, and wild privet.

[38] Its strong root system effectively stabilizes slopes, reduces surface runoff, and controls sediment transport, particularly in areas prone to erosion from rainstorms.

Its dense bushes offer shelter, while its nutrient-rich berries serve as a food source for birds and small mammals.

In regions like Ladakh, these shrubs support a range of native wildlife, providing both cover and food for birds and small mammals.

In the Canadian prairies, species such as sharp-tailed grouse, Hungarian partridge, and pheasants rely on sea buckthorn for food and shelter.

Sea buckthorn’s importance as a wildlife habitat has been documented across multiple regions, highlighting its role in promoting biodiversity.

Difficulties in harvesting are the major barriers of orchard production and development of the plant's potential as a cash crop.

Different mechanical harvest methods were developed in the late 20th century, such as shaking, vacuum and quick freezing, but with the disadvantages of fruit and bark damage and low efficiency, as of 1990.

[50][51] A trunk clamp-on vibrator harvester may be used when the fruit is frozen on the shrub, but with this method leaf and wood contamination is high and an additional step of berry cleaning is necessary.

[citation needed] In the United Kingdom, the cultivars 'Leikora' and 'Pollmix' have won the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

[54] Cultivar Sprite has dense, compact vines growing to 2 feet (0.61 m) tall and wide, characteristics possibly making it useful as a low hedge near the sea.

[citation needed] Hippophae rhamnoides plants that are 1–2 years old develop root nodules containing actinobacteria of the genus Frankia, which are capable of fixing nitrogen.

The nitrogen-fixing activity of the symbiotic bacteria is not constant, but depends on external factors such as the climate or whether additional nitrogen fertilization occurred.

[58][60] Both in Asia and in Europe, sea buckthorn losses occur notably due to environmental stress, wilt disease and insect pests.

[68] Additionally, four strains of Cladothrix actinomyces were found to be usable as antagonistic fungi in H. rhamnoides plants infected by Fusarium sporotrichioides.

[6] Both the leaf roller (Archips rosana) and the spongy moth (Lymantria dispar) chew on H. rhamnoides leaves.

[6] Further insect pests include the commashaped scale (Chionaspis salicis), which sucks sap from the bark and can cause important damage by leading to the death of the plant, and the larvae of the sea buckthorn moth (Gelechia hippophaella), which penetrate into fresh buds and feed on them.

[6] Insecticides such as gammaxene and dylox are used to control insect pests in the soil,[72][73] and insecticide soap can be employed against green aphid infestations[74] Hippophae rhamnoides is also involved in interactions with various animals (birds, rodents, deer, livestock) that can lead to damage in plantations.