Owner of Healing Arc Sea Buckthorn Golden Orchard, Marlene Wynnyck, holds up a branch from a sea buckthorn tree. Photo courtesy of Marlene Wynnyck.Owner of Healing Arc Sea Buckthorn Golden Orchard, Marlene Wynnyck, holds up a branch from a sea buckthorn tree. Photo courtesy of Marlene Wynnyck.
Midwestern

Farmer says her plants are not poisonous after article's mistake

A mistake in an article on the Weather Network's website has one local farmer fielding calls and emails demanding to know why she sold them a poisonous plant.

The Weather Network posted an article on its website listing the top 10 poisonous plants including buckthorn but the image they chose was of sea buckthorn berries.

A screen grab from the Weather Network's website show's the wrong image for common buckthorn. A screen grab from the Weather Network's website show's the wrong image for common buckthorn.

Owner of Healing Arc Sea Buckthorn Golden Orchard, Marlene Wynnyck says they are not even the same species.

"A buckthorn tree is actually an invasive species and their berries, when the get them, are a purply colour." said Wynnyck. "Sea buckthorn has an orange berry and you don't really find it growing wild many places around Canada."

Sea buckthorn tree. Photo courtesy of Marlene Wynnyck. Sea buckthorn tree. Photo courtesy of Marlene Wynnyck.

She says the phone calls from concerned customers started last night.

"The emails started coming in this morning from people who bought trees from me," said Wynnyck, "People who definitely know more as well saying 'how could they print this?' It's been a bit overwhelming because it's my busy time of the year."

Sea buckthorn is actually a highly nutritious plant that's been used in medicines in South East Asia, China, and Russia.

"Approximately eight of the berries provide you with your daily allotment of vitamin C. They have your essential fatty acids in them, your beta carotene," explained Wynnyck.

Sea buckthorn is also good for the environment because it is a nitrogen fixing plant.

"The biggest value of sea buckthorn is it will grow on marginal land and restore marginal land."

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