Sea buckthorn is a representative of dioecious plants, therefore, to obtain a bountiful harvest, a “male” bush must grow not far from the “female” trees. Gardeners who decide to plant sea buckthorn on their property for the first time need to know what signs help determine the sex of the plant.
Differences between seedlings at the purchase stage
The differences are easy to notice in bushes that are 3-4 years old. But when purchasing young seedlings, you will not be able to independently identify their gender. It is impossible to establish sex by assessing the appearance of vegetative (growth) buds. Such kidneys do not have distinctive features.
Therefore, it is recommended to make a purchase in nurseries - there experts will help you choose sea buckthorn of the desired sex.
Differences between trees in spring
The sex of sea buckthorn is determined by the generative buds that appear on bushes that have reached 3 years of age.
“Male” trees have large buds, covered with several scales, looking like small cones.
“Female” plants have small, even, neat buds, which are covered with two scales.
When sea buckthorn begins to bloom, you need to pay attention to the flowers. They don't look like ordinary flowers. In “male” trees they are colored greenish-silver and appear as a bunch of stamens. The “female” flowers are yellow.They are located in the sinuses in bunches.
If you shake the branches of a “male” plant, a cloud of golden pollen will appear in the air.
Additionally, you can take into account the growth rate of sea buckthorn (but this sign does not always help to draw correct conclusions about the gender of trees). After planting, the “male” seedlings grow faster than the “female” ones, but after a while the “female” trees begin to exceed them in size.
How to distinguish trees in summer
At the end of spring and summer, the sex of sea buckthorn bushes is determined by the type of leaves.
Leaves on the “male” tree:
- with a grayish tint;
- covered with a bluish coating;
- with a clearly visible vein in the center;
- smooth.
On the “female” tree, the leaves are greener, concave, and shaped like a trough. They also have a bluish coating, but in smaller quantities.
It is not difficult to determine the gender of adult sea buckthorn bushes. Problems will arise when purchasing young seedlings from unverified places. If the seller does not know the gender of the tree, then he will have to wait until the plants begin puberty.
