Sea Buckthorn (Seaberry) vs Golden Currant - TreeTime.ca

Sea Buckthorn (Seaberry) vs Golden Currant

Hippophae rhamnoides l.

Ribes aureum

Sea Buckthorn (Seaberry)
Golden Currant

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: Sea Buckthorn is dioecious, meaning male and female flowers grow on separate plants. Both are required for fruit production, though only female plants bear fruit. A plant’s sex typically cannot be identified until its third or fourth year. Our seedlings are too young to determine their sex.

Golden Currant produces berries for jams, jellies, sauces and even pemmican. This currant bush is very dense, allowing for use as a hedge, windbreak, or wildlife habitat.

This plant is also a very popular rootstock to graft popular red and white currant varieties to. The resulting plants are taller, more productive, and easier to harvest.

Sea Buckthorn (Seaberry) Quick Facts

Golden Currant Quick Facts

Lowest Price: $1.29 - SAVE UP TO 82%
Lowest Price: $8.99 - SAVE UP TO 33%
Zone: 2b
Zone: 4a
Height: 5 m (15 ft)
Height: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Spread: 4 m (12 ft)
Spread: 1.2 m (4 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: short
Suckering: high
Suckering: medium


Foliage: slender silvery-green leaves
Fall colour: reddish purple
Flowers: yellow
Berries: small, edible
Berries: glossy black 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)
Native to: AB, BC
Other Names: sallowthorn, sandthorn, seaberry
Other Names: buffalo currant, clove currant, fragrant golden currant, golden flowering currant, spicebush