Factsheet F49: Autumn olive – Elaeagnus umbellata
£1.50
The genus Elaeagnus consists of 30-40 deciduous and evergreen shrubs and small trees, often with prickly branches, from S.Europe, Asia and N.America.
Autumn olive, native to China, Japan and Korea, is one of the better known of the Elaeagnus species, and is certainly one of the most useful. It is also regarded in some parts of the USA as a noxious weed, however it does not exhibit any invasive behaviour in Britain or northern Europe. Other common names used for Elaeagnus umbellata include autumn elaeagnus, Asiatic oleaster, umbellate oleaster, aki-gumi and Japanese silverberry.