Sea buckthorn
There is a very big – seven hectare – sea buckthorn thicket west of the path, but there are glades here and there, and most bushes are quite low, but it is an attractive area. Sea buckthorn is common in West Jutland. It prefers chalky sandy soil.
In September the thickets are bright with yellow and orange from the many fruits surrounding the branches. The seeds germinate easily and the bushes also spread via shoots from the thick elevated roots. Look far ahead on the asphalt path – the swellings were caused by sea buckthorn roots. The species is not a good garden plant unless you need something to do.
Sea buckthorn has found increasingly greater use in cooking in recent years. The tart and vitamin (especially vitamin C) rich fruits are used for jam, porridge, and not least herb schnapps (perhaps not exactly food, but an important accessory). The fruits are harvested after freezing weather, or they are placed in the freezer before use. Some birds eat the fruits in autumn and winter.
A biennial garden plant called evening primrose or “eight o’clock” grows like a little curiosity between the little bushes. The creamy yellow flowers open between 8.50 and 9.10 p.m. – it has not properly adapted to summer time. It is also an old kitchen herb. Roots, leaves, seeds and flowers are edible, so they can also be used for ………... We can only guess how they came to be here. Bell squill and other garden plants grow in other places on the isthmus – perhaps merely emphasising that the life between the dikes is a product of culture, but with a big natural component.