The sea buckthorn belongs to the Elaeagnaceae family and is a shrub or small tree that grows in desert areas. It is one of the few plants that can survive in saline-alkaline soil. The young branches are yellow, and the leaves are linear or lanceolate, measuring 1.5-5 centimeters long and 3-7 millimeters wide. The branches are densely clustered and resistant to sand pressure. The roots are well-developed, and the plant has strong sprouting ability and resistance to adversity. It is relatively drought-tolerant and prefers moderate water conditions. Sea buckthorn is also resistant to wind and sand, tolerates certain levels of salinity and alkalinity, and can withstand extreme cold and hot temperatures. It thrives under moderate sand pressure but is not tolerant to wind erosion. It is easy to propagate and has strong sucker growth. Sea buckthorn is commonly used for sand fixation and afforestation in river valleys and wetlands.

Sea buckthorn is distributed in Inner Mongolia, Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan, and other regions. It is a preferred tree species for wind and sand control in northern China and plays a significant role in the "Three-North Shelterbelt Project."

Morphological characteristics:

Sea buckthorn is a shrub or small tree with hairy young branches that gradually become smooth. The leaves are linear or lanceolate, measuring 1.5-5 centimeters long and 3-7 millimeters wide. The margins are rolled outward, with sparse glandular teeth on the upper half and nearly entire margins on the lower half. The upper surface initially has silky hairs but becomes hairless, while the lower surface is gray and has silky hairs. The leaf stalk is 1-3 millimeters long and covered in long soft hairs. The inflorescence axis is densely covered in soft hairs, and the bracts are inverted oval or rectangular with sparse soft hairs at the base and a gland on the ventral surface. The male inflorescence is 1.5-2.3 centimeters long, and the stamens are fused. The female inflorescence is 1.5-2 centimeters long, and the ovary is densely covered in short silky hairs. The fruit is a capsule, 3 millimeters long, without a stalk, and splits into two valves. The seeds have long white hairs. The bark is purple-red or green when young and becomes gray-white when old. The stems have a well-developed cortical layer. The leaves are alternate and have characteristics of xerophytic plants. They have a single-layered palisade tissue without spongy tissue, and the palisade tissue cells are tightly arranged with highly developed vascular bundles. There is an additional layer of cuticle on the leaf margin and midrib, and there are two subepidermal layers beneath the leaf margin. The stomata are slightly concave. The inflorescence is without a stalk, and the fruit is elongated capsules.

Growth habits:

Sea buckthorn has strong resistance to adversity, is relatively drought-tolerant, and prefers moderate water conditions. It is resistant to wind and sand, tolerates certain levels of salinity and alkalinity, and can withstand poor and barren conditions, extreme cold and hot temperatures. It thrives under moderate sand pressure but is not tolerant to wind erosion. It is easy to propagate and has strong sucker growth. Sea buckthorn exhibits characteristics of "five unyielding": it doesn't die from drought, is not grazed by cattle and sheep, is resistant to cutting by knives and axes, survives burial by sand, and withstands waterlogging. It is a fast-growing, long-lived shrub with high survival rates and strong adaptability.

Geographical distribution:

Sea buckthorn is distributed in Inner Mongolia, Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan, and Tibet.

Main value:

Sea buckthorn grows rapidly, with dense branches and leaves and a well-developed root system, making it an effective plant for sand fixation and soil conservation. It has high utilization value. Sea buckthorn is commonly used for wind and sand control in northern China and is one of the preferred tree species for the "Three-North Shelterbelt Project." It is one of the largest tree species planted in sandy areas in China. Sea buckthorn can be used for making paperboards and paper. Due to its excellent combustion properties, it can be used for biomass power generation, which is a new trend in the industry. The project has simple technical equipment, low operating costs, and multiple benefits.

   

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