Elaeagnus angustifolia - Russian Olive (Elaeagnaceae) ------------------------------------------------------------- Russian-olive, oleaster, or narrow-leafed oleaster is Twigs grown for its silvery gray foliage. The tree prefers a -young branches thin, silvery sunny location and is tolerant of most soil types, but -stems sometimes thorny, covered in scales can be affected by various diseases. It has become a -older branches develop a shiny light brown color problem invasive plant in some areas. -buds are small, silvery-brown and rounded, covered with 4 scales FEATURES Trunk Form grayish-brown older bark -a deciduous large shrub or tree, 20' tall x 20' USAGE spread Function - over 15' tall and wide- -used as a hedge or screen, but may be an accent plant spreading in the border or entranceway because of silvery foliage -rounded habit -may be a foundation shrub -fast growth rate (12-18" -can be massed along highways or seacoasts per year) Texture Culture -fine to medium texture -very adaptable to a wide range of environmental Assets conditions; thrives in alkaline soils and in sandy flood -silvery foliage plains -adaptability and growth in poor sites -able to fix nitrogen so can grow on very poor soils Liabilities -tolerates cold, drought, salt sprays -from a landscape perspective: Canker, Verticillium -easily transplanted wilt and leaf spot destroy that silvery silhouette by -grows most vigorously in full sun killing many branches -does not do well in wet sites or -thorns may be present under dense shade -from an environmental perspective: troublesome -susceptible to foliar and stem invasive that creates heavy shade and suppresses diseases, but affected by few pests plants that require direct sunlight in areas such as -it may invade grasslands and fields, prairies, open woodlands and forest edges. sparse woodlands. Russian olive can displace native plants such as -can be readily pruned and Cottonwoods and Willows in riparian woodlands. It resprouts easily can become a monoculture covering many acres. -propagated primarily by seed Habitat Foliage -Zones 2 to 7 -leaves alternate, simple, deciduous -Native to Southern Europe and Western and Central -willow-like (oblong to linear-lanceolate), Asia -1.5-3" long x 0.5-1" wide -entire leaf margin SELECTIONS -dull green above Alternates and silvery below -shrubs with silvery foliage or with wide adaptability -no autumn color to sunny locations (various Willows). However, the Flowers plant should be used only in very specific -small, 0.3-0.6" circumstances. long, perfect (both male and female Cultivars - Variants - Related species parts on the same -The species is the main form of the plant that is flower), available in the trade. -bell-shaped, but lacking petals Elaeagnus: a Greek name originally applied to a (apetalous) willow, from helodes, growing in marshes, and -silvery or whitish silvery on the outside, yellow inside hagnos, pure, referring to the white fruit masses of the -fragrant williow; angustifolia: narrow leaved -appearing in May Russian-olive is a native of Southern Europe and -often not noticed as they are covered by the foliage Western Asia. It was introduced into the U.S. in the Fruits early 1900's. By the mid-1900's it had escaped -drupe-like, yellow with silvery scales, edible cultivation and is now extensively naturalized -0.5" long primarily in western states. It grows in some eastern -matures in Sept. states but is not naturalized. .