Sea Buckthorn (Seaberry) vs Red Elderberry - TreeTime.ca

Sea Buckthorn (Seaberry) vs Red Elderberry

Hippophae rhamnoides l.

Sambucus racemosa

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Sea Buckthorn (Seaberry)
Red Elderberry

Sea Buckthorn, aka Seaberry, is a nitrogen fixing shrub that produces attractive berries high in vitamin C.

While we can't confirm claims that the berries are effective in treating various ailments, many people believe consuming the berries helps with arthritis, infections, and asthma, among other things.

Sea Buckthorn plants have attractive pale silvery-green leaves, dense branches, and large thorns, people like to grow in ornamental hedges or as a first row in a shelterbelt.

Note: these plants typically reach maturity and make their sex easily known (females producing fruit) in their 3rd or 4th year of growth. Our seedlings are too young to identify their sex.

Red Elderberry is an attractive, medium-sized deciduous shrub.

It produces clusters of white flowers in the spring and bright red berry-like drupes, which provide beautiful contrast against its coarse, textured green foliage.

Red Elder can be pruned as a small single or multi-stemmed tree.

Sea Buckthorn (Seaberry) Quick Facts

Red Elderberry Quick Facts

Zone: 2b
Zone: 2a
Height: 5 m (15 ft)
Height: 4 m (13 ft)
Spread: 4 m (12 ft)
Spread: 3 m (10 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: medium
Life span: medium
Life span: medium
Suckering: high
Suckering: none


Toxicity: toxic to humans
Foliage: slender silvery-green leaves
Flowers: white
Berries: small, edible
Berries: bright red berries
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no

In row spacing: 0.9 - 1.2 m (3 - 4 ft)

Between row spacing: 5 m (16 ft)
Other Names: sallowthorn, sandthorn, seaberry
Other Names: red elder