Autumn Olive Invasive Plant Information Sheet Elaeagnus umbellata Oleaster Family (Elaeagnaceae)

Description: Autumn olive is a small, spiny deciduous shrub-like tree capable of reaching 20 feet in height. It has alternate oval leaves with silvery undersides. The leaves are simple and lack marginal teeth, but the margins are often crisped or wavy. The small, yellowish-white flowers reach the peak of bloom around mid-May and are highly fragrant. The fleshy fruits are brown at first and mature to a reddish hue with minute metallic dots. Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia) is similar in appearance but its leaves are silvery on both sides and its fruits are yellow.

Origin: Autumn olive is native Management: Autumn olive is to eastern Asia and was best controlled by cutting in late Illustration by E. Farnsworth introduced to the United States September and October, followed during the 1830s for a variety of immediately by application of an Viburnum lentago (Nannyberry) uses including soil conservation herbicide to the cut stems. Spring and wildlife habitat enhancement. cutting may actually promote Viburnum recognitum (Northern In Connecticut, it has been widely additional growth. Prescribed Arrowwood) planted along highways, perhaps burning is a good control method because of its wind and drought in areas where it is feasible. tolerance and its ability to form Written by: Peter Picone dense thickets. Alternatives: CT Department of Environmental For persistent berries: Protection, Wildlife Division Habitat: Autumn olive spreads Aronia arbutifolia (Red Chokeberry) May 2000 rapidly from cultivation into old - also bright fall color fields, thickets and forest edges. Aronia melanocarpa (Black It is extremely hardy and tolerant of drought, wind, and air Chokeberry) – also bright fall color pollutants. Ilex verticillata (Winterberry) References:

Janet Marinelli and Beth Hanson, Why is it a problem? A rapid Viburnum trilobum (Highbush grower and prolific seed producer, Editors, 1996. Invasive Plants: Weeds of Cranberry) the Global Garden. Handbook Number autumn olive out-competes and 149. (New York: Brooklyn Botanic displaces native shrubs. It forms For fall wildlife food source: Garden, Inc.) 111 pp. monotypic stands and reduces Cornus amomum (Silky Dogwood) floral and habitat diversity. As a Gleason, H. A. and A. Cronquist, 1991. nitrogen fixer, it can alter nutrient Cornus racemosa (Gray Dogwood) Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent cycle dynamics and change soil Canada, 2nd ed., (Bronx, NY: The New suitability for other shrub species. Cornus sericea (Red twig Dogwood) York Botanical Garden) 910 pp.

This fact sheet was produced by the Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group. For more information, visit our website at: www.cipwg.uconn.edu. Printing has been

funded in part by the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.