Side by side
Sea buckthorn or oleaster? How to tell them apart
Hippophae rhamnoides · Elaeagnus
How to tell them apart – sea buckthorn: thorny shrub with narrow, silvery-grey leaves and, in autumn, masses of orange berries packed along the branches; oleaster: evergreen, broader leaves and no thorns.
Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Svdmolen assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Sea buckthorn Hippophae rhamnoides
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How do you recognise them?
- Sea buckthorn
- Thorny shrub with narrow, silvery-grey leaves and, in autumn, masses of orange berries packed along the branches.
- Oleaster
- Evergreen shrub with leathery leaves that are silvery-scaled underneath; fragrant little flowers in autumn.
- Compared with sea buckthorn: evergreen, broader leaves and no thorns.
| Sea buckthorn | Oleaster | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Alternate, 3–7 cm, linear; grey-green above, silvery-scaly below. | Alternate, oval, 5–10 cm, untoothed; dark green above, silvery white below with rust-brown scales. |
| Flowering | Inconspicuous greenish-brown flowers in March–April, before the leaves; separate male and female plants (March–April). | Small, silvery-white, very fragrant flowers in October–November (October–November). |
| Fruit | Orange, sour berries (6–8 mm) crowded along the branches, rich in vitamin C; only on female plants. | Small, red, edible berries in spring. |
| Bark | Branches with sharp thorns; young twigs silvery brown. | Young shoots covered in brown scales. |
| Shape and height | Shrub, 1–4 m | Shrub, 2–4 m |
| Site | Full sun, any garden soil, dry | Sun to shade, any garden soil, dry to wet |
| Native to Belgium | Yes | No, planted |
| Good for bees, butterflies and birds | Yes, for birds | Yes, for bees and birds |
| Poisonous to people and pets | Not known to be poisonous | Not known to be poisonous |
| Pruning months | February–March | May–June and August–September |
What does it mean for your garden?
- Sea buckthorn is native: it feeds more insects and birds than a non-native species. If in doubt, choose this one.
Read on
- Plant profile: Sea buckthorn
- Plant profile: Oleaster
- Sea buckthorn: when and how to prune
- Oleaster: when and how to prune
- Identification key: the question that separates them
Also looks like
This comparison is compiled from the Bladwijzer species pages.