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Elaeagnus glabra

Common name:		Family:	Elaeagnaceae
Author:	Thunb.	Botanical references:	11, 58, 200
Synonyms:
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	E. Asia - China, Japan.
Habitat:	Thickets in hills[58, 275].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	4	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	2

Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	glabra = glabrous
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Rhamnales. Oleaster family

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen shrub growing to 6m at a medium rate. It is hardy to zone 8 and is not frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower from October to November, and the seeds ripen in May. The scented flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees. It can fix Nitrogen. We rate it 4/5 for edibility and 2/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, requires well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. The plant prefers acid and neutral soils. It can grow in full shade (deep woodland) semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Hedge, Woodland, Sunny Edge, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge, Deep Shade.

Edible Uses

Fruit Seed.

Fruit - raw or cooked[105, 177]. The fruit must be fully ripe before it can be enjoyed raw, if even slightly under-ripe it will be quite astringent[K]. The oval fruit is about 15mm long[200] and contains a single large seed[K].
Seed - raw or cooked. It can be eaten with the fruit though the seed case is rather fibrous[K].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Cancer.

The fruit of many members of this genus is a very rich source of vitamins and minerals, especially in vitamins A, C and E, flavanoids and other bio-active compounds. It is also a fairly good source of essential fatty acids, which is fairly unusual for a fruit. It is being investigated as a food that is capable of reducing the incidence of cancer and also as a means of halting or reversing the growth of cancers[214].

Other Uses

Hedge.

Plants can be grown as a hedge in exposed positions, tolerating maritime exposure[29, 166]. They form a good wind-break, though they are somewhat slow to reach an effective size[K]. They succeed when planted under trees that have become bare at the base, in time they will scramble up into the tree and fill out the bottom[29].

Cultivation details

Succeeds in most soils that are well-drained[200]. Prefers a soil that is only moderately fertile, succeeding in poor soils and dry soils[11, 200]. Requires a lime-free soil[219]. A very shade tolerant plant, it can be grown under other trees and will eventually climb up into them[29, 166].
Plants are not reliably hardy in the colder areas of the country[200].
This species has some potential as a commercial crop in temperate areas. It does not always carry a good crop, and research needs to be carried out to find the reasons for it, but the fruit is of a reasonable size and, when fully ripe, of a reasonable flavour[K]. It seems to be the latest to ripen in spring of the evergreen Elaeagnus[K].
Closely related to E. pungens, differing in its unarmed branches and thinner more glossy leaves[200].
This species is notably resistant to honey fungus[88, 200].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[200]. An excellent companion plant, when grown in orchards it can increase yields from the fruit trees by up to 10%.
The small flowers are deliciously scented, their aroma pervading the garden on calm days[K].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame[78]. It should germinate freely within 4 weeks, though it may take 18 months[K]. Stored seed can be very slow to germinate, often taking more than 18 months. A warm stratification for 4 weeks followed by 12 weeks cold stratification can help[98]. The seed usually (eventually) germinates quite well[78]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pot as soon as they are large enough to handle and plant out when they are at least 15cm tall.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 7 - 10cm with a heel, July/August in a frame. Good percentage[78]. It is best to take the cuttings in June[202].
Cuttings of mature wood of the current year's growth, 10 - 12cm with a heel, November in a frame. Leave for 12 months. Fair to good percentage[78].
Layering in September/October. Takes 12 months[78].

Scent

Flowers: Fresh: The small flowers are deliciously scented, their aroma pervading the garden on calm days.

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

PFAF Web Pages

This plant is mentioned in the following web pages

Web References

[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for the family Elaeagnaceae.

To be included in the Flora of China.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[29] Shepherd. F.W. Hedges and Screens. Royal Horticultural Society. 1974 ISBN 0900629649
A small but informative booklet giving details of all the hedging plants being grown in the R.H.S. gardens at Wisley in Surrey.

[58] Ohwi. G. Flora of Japan. (English translation) Smithsonian Institution 1965
The standard work. Brilliant, but not for the casual reader.

[78] Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.

[88] RHS. The Garden. Volume 112. Royal Horticultural Society 1987
Snippets of information from the magazine of the RHS. In particular, there are articles on plants that are resistant to honey fungus, oriental vegetables, Cimicifuga spp, Passiflora species and Cucurbits.

[98] Gordon. A. G. and Rowe. D. C. f. Seed Manual for Ornamental Trees and Shrubs.
Very comprehensive guide to growing trees and shrubs from seed. Not for the casual reader.

[105] Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976
The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.

[166] Taylor. J. The Milder Garden. Dent 1990
A good book on plants that you didn't know could be grown outdoors in Britain.

[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984 ISBN 3874292169
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[202] Davis. B. Climbers and Wall Shrubs. Viking. 1990 ISBN 0-670-82929-3
Contains information on 2,000 species and cultivars, giving details of cultivation requirements. The text is terse but informative.

[214] Matthews. V. The New Plantsman. Volume 1, 1994. Royal Horticultural Society 1994 ISBN 1352-4186
A quarterly magazine, it has articles on Himalayacalamus hookerianus, hardy Euphorbias and an excellent article on Hippophae spp.

[219] Grey-Wilson. C. & Matthews. V. Gardening on Walls Collins 1983 ISBN 0-00-219220-0
A nice little book about plants for growing against walls and a small section on plants that can grow in walls.

[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.

Readers Comments

Elaeagnus - Autumn Olive

Matt Trahan (matttrahan@ecsu.campus.mci.net) Mon, 17 Nov 1997

Just finished reading your very informative article at http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/elaeagns.html We grow Eleagnus 'russian olive' (unsure of species) as an evergreen hedge in our back yard here in northeastern North Carolina, U.S.A. It is also a very common shrub out on the outer banks of N.C. In our hot and humid climate (USDA zone 8) it will do ok in swales/waterlogged areas. In fact it acts almost as happy as a willow on a streambank.

Autumn olive is very common here as a hedge or specimen shrub. With its beautiful perfume and silvery leaves, it's very attractive. Unfortunately, it is now classed as an invasive pest by the Virginia Native(?) plant society. This plant was discussed during a lecture on invasive plants at the Maymont Flower and Garden show in Richmond Va. last Spring. Slides were shown of entire hillsides being taken over. I have to admit that the russian olive will reseed almost as easily as the autumn olive. Still not sure about ripping out the hedge though. It is very attractive, does provide great privacy and a wonderful perfume in fall.

(sigh) Wonder if they said the same thing about purple loosestrife.

I appoligise for giving you such news, but I thought you might be interested in how well (too well) it does on this side of the Atlantic. I hope your findings are different in the UK.

Regards, Matt Trahan

Details of Growing Condition: USDA zone 8, Sunset zone 31, AHS heat zone 7, northeastern N.C..

Cross references: Genera: Elaeagnus. Web-pages: Elaeagnus x ebbingei - A Plant for all Reasons..

Elaeagnus - Autumn Olive

Myra Bonhage-Hale (lapaix@iolinc.ne) Sat May 12 20:45:00 2001

I am very interested in Autumn Olive (Elaeagnus umbellata) - have been trying to distill the flowers for essential oil and hydrosol - the aroma is not the same as the oh, so sweet and evocative smell of the flowers on the bush. In West Virginia, USA, it is considered invasive and exotic and is abhorred by farmers, especially cattle farmers. I am interested in finding a good use for this plant which has so many good attributes: nitrogen fixing, habitat for blue birds - and full of lycopene which is knwn to be an antioxidant - and perhaps a preventive action for chronic diseases including certain cancers. Seen as an enemy by most farmers in West Virginia, finding it to be a friend and useful appeals to my sometimes quixotic attitude toward life. Any help, any research, any comments will be appreciated. Myra Bonhage-Hale, La Paix Herb Farm, Alum Bridge, West Virginia email: lapaix@iolinc.net. Web Site: www.lapaixherbaljourney.com

Cross references: Genera: Elaeagnus. Web-pages: Elaeagnus x ebbingei - A Plant for all Reasons..

Elaeagnus - Autumn Olive

Larry (Larrytoo@mailcity.com) Fri Oct 19 16:58:17 2001

I have had an Elaeagnus - Autumn Olive hedge here in Va for about 15 years (just south of DC). Quite leggy just now and to be cut back soon. Surprised to find it now on the "Invasive" list (and to find its relative Russian Olive listed as a noxious weed in Utah) as I acquired this hedge in bare root form from the state of Va!

I also have an Ebbingei hedge across the front yard, a far superior hedge in my opinion, well knit togather but a B***h to trim due to the resinouus dust from the leaves in early autum and in this area it really needs trimming twice a year.

Questions:

The Autum hedge I can trim back almost to stumps and it returns with vengence, how far back can the Ebbingei be safely cut, and when is this best done?

In propagating the Ebbingei, I could use a bit more detail, for example, what is ment by "with heel" when taking clippings.

Thanks

Details of Growing Condition: Just south of DC (ZIP 22306), predominently low grade fill dirt with deposits of marine slip clay, water table about ten feet down, area known as "Death Valley" by the local plant shops..

Cross references: Genera: Elaeagnus. Web-pages: Elaeagnus x ebbingei - A Plant for all Reasons..

Elaeagnus - Autumn Olive

() Fri Oct 19 17:22:06 2001

I am confuzzeled here. I understand that Autum Olive is Elaeagnus angustifolia (oringe/red berries), common in the Virginias while Umbellata is the Russian Olive (Yellow berries) rare her but common in the West.

Cross references: Plants: Elaeagnus angustifolia, Elaeagnus umbellata. Genera: Elaeagnus. Web-pages: Elaeagnus x ebbingei - A Plant for all Reasons..

Elaeagnus x ebbingei - A Plant for all Reasons.

Mike Hardman Fri Nov 2 18:04:24 2001

I have seen thickets of a species of Elaeagnus growing in gently rolling hills west of Calgary, Canada. I do not know which species it was, but I thought I'd mention it since there has been mention here of doubts about hardiness of X ebbingei in the far north of the UK (I am thinking of my sister in Caithness). Maybe there is scope for crossing with this Canadian species - which must be darn hardy. Oh, the species I saw had plain silvery leaves and grew about 9ft tall, spreading by suckers.

Details of Growing Condition: Gravelly clays a few miles west of Calgary, Canada.

Cross references: Plants: Elaeagnus x ebbingei. Genera: Elaeagnus. Web-pages: Elaeagnus x ebbingei - A Plant for all Reasons..

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
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