Skip to content
← Plant Database
autumn olive

autumn olive

Elaeagnus umbellata

shrub☀️ full sun💧 low waterZone 6b – Zone 8b

A vigorous deciduous shrub with fragrant spring flowers followed by abundant red berries speckled with silver in fall. Highly invasive in many regions but valued for wildlife food and erosion control.

Overview

Form
Spreading
Growth Rate
fast
Size
6–18′ tall × 6–12′ wide
Dormancy
deciduous

Tolerances & Soil

moderate

Flood Tolerance

none
Zone 6bZone 8b
1471013
ColderWarmer
Zone range: Zone 6b to Zone 8b

pH Range

5.37.5
7.0
3.556.589
pH range: 5.3 to 7.5

Soil Texture

Coarse, Medium, Fine

Seasonality

Bloom Season

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Harvest Season

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Season of Interest

SpringFall

Shrub

Woody multi-stem plants at eye level.

Succession Role

pioneerearly successional

Native Range

Eastern Asia

Function & Care

nitrogen fixerdynamic accumulatorwildlife benefitedibleerosion controlhedgerowpollinator nectary
Nitrogen Fixer · Moderate
Coppicing

Edible Parts

fruit

Establishment & Care

Establishment
easy
Maintenance
low
Years to Bearing
3 years
Propagation
seed, cutting

Companion Planting

Plants well with