Autumn olive

Elaeagnus umbellata

East Asian shrub with silvery foliage and small red berries exceptionally high in lycopene. Once promoted for soil reclamation; now banned in many regions for its aggressive spread.

Hardiness ratings

Autumn olive hardiness across the four zone systems
SystemRatingTemperature rangeHow to read it
USDA hardiness zone Zone 3–8 −40 °C to −6.7 °C Plant tolerates down to this zone
RHS hardiness rating H7 down to −20 °C Plant needs at least this level of cold tolerance
Canadian plant hardiness zone Zone 3–8 −34 °C to −1 °C Plant tolerates down to this zone
Australian (ANBG) zone Zone 1–4 −15 °C to 5 °C Plant tolerates down to this zone

Growing notes

  • INVASIVE in eastern North America — banned outright in several US states and listed as a noxious weed in many others. Do not plant where it is listed as invasive — check state and county rules.
  • Fixes nitrogen via Frankia bacteria (actinorhizal symbiosis) rather than the Rhizobium of legumes — a non-legume nitrogen fixer
  • Berries are edible and highly nutritious where the plant is already established — gather rather than plant

Categories

Related plants

Cross-check Autumn olive against your zones

Reference

Autumn olive on Wikipedia