Sea Buckthorn (Seaberry) vs Grouseberry - TreeTime.ca

Sea Buckthorn (Seaberry) vs Grouseberry

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Sea Buckthorn (Seaberry)
Grouseberry

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.

Grouseberry is a native, low-growing deciduous shrub known for its edible red berries. In early summer, it produces small, urn-shaped flowers ranging from white to pink that attract bees and other pollinators. The berries provide an important food source for many types of wildlife, including game birds such as grouse, which gives the plant its common name. People can also enjoy the berries fresh or in baked goods, though they can be difficult to harvest in large quantities.

Spreading by rhizomes, Grouseberry forms dense, broom-like mats that help stabilize soil and prevent erosion, while also providing cover for ground-nesting wildlife. It is commonly found beneath conifers in open forests, subalpine meadows, and occasionally on rocky slopes in mountainous regions. It is well-suited for naturalization, ecological restoration, and soil stabilization projects.

Sea Buckthorn (Seaberry) Quick Facts

Grouseberry Quick Facts

Zone: 2b
Zone: 2a
Height: 5 m (15 ft)
Height: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Spread: 4 m (12 ft)
Spread: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: shade, partial shade
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: slow
Life span: medium
Life span: medium
Growth form: low growing, colony-forming
Spreading: rhizomes - medium
Suckering: high
Maintenance: medium


Foliage: slender silvery-green leaves
Fall colour: reddish
Flowers: small pink, bell-shaped
Bloom time: spring
Berries: small, edible
Berries: small, bright red, edible
Flavor: tart
Harvest: summer
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: dwarf red whortleberry, grouse whortleberry, little-leaved huckleberry, red alpine blueberry, small-leaved huckleberry