One of the challenges of moving to a new country is missing the foods from your native land that may now be impossible or too expensive to get. One Redditor posted last month about how they long for the taste of the berries from the sea buckthorn plant.
The Redditor wrote: "I really like the taste of sea buckthorn. ... I grew up drinking juice made from them." However, a commenter quickly informs them that it's invasive to California, to which the original poster responded, "We don't have currants for a similar reason, sad that we can't taste these fruits here."
Growing in thickets, the sea buckthorn plant is invasive in parts of the United Kingdom and most of North America. Unfortunately, many big box stores and even some plant nurseries sell non-native plants on their shelves.
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Should we be actively working to kill invasive species?
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Absolutely 💯 If you mistakenly plant them, you can carefully remove them by hand pulling, mulching, and smothering with a tarp, followed by adding native seeds as you rewild your yard. Focusing on native plants helps you save money on water and fertilizer while creating a more diverse haven for pollinators. However, it only takes one invasive plant to suck the life out of thriving space.
In California, the OP can plant other trees like blue elderberry, orange, lemon, Catalina cherry, and more that can provide delicious and nutritious juice without jeopardizing their land.
After a commenter recommended "browsing the Strictly Medicinals website" for this plant's seeds, an elated OP seemed to have forgotten about its invasiveness to the area and planned to buy seeds anyway. They responded to the comment by saying, "In my home country, they're known for popping out of cracks in the sidewalk and pavement and destroying roads if they're not destroyed," which doesn't exactly help to justify the risk of causing it to invade a new area.
Busting through pavement is a characteristic of another invasive and destructive plant, Japanese knotweed. This characteristic isn't something the OP should take lightly, especially if they want to avoid fines.
Afterward, one comment advised that planting the seeds "would also be a possible federal crime." According to Executive Order 13751, such an act is unlawful, as invasive species cost the United States billions of dollars annually from economic loss and other damage.
However, these violations are usually handled at the state and local level. Per the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, each violation can cost a knowingly offending party not more than $12,000.
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