Elaeagnus angustifolia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Elaeagnus angustifolia | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Division: | Magnoliophyta |
| Class: | Magnoliopsida |
| Order: | Rosales |
| Family: | Elaeagnaceae |
| Genus: | Elaeagnus |
| Species: | E. angustifolia |
| Binomial name | |
| Elaeagnus angustifolia L. |
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Elaeagnus angustifolia (Russian Silverberry, Oleaster, or Russian-olive) is a species of Elaeagnus, native to western and central Asia, from southern Russia and Kazakhstan to Turkey and Iran.
It is a usually thorny shrub or small tree growing to 5-7 m in height. Its stems, buds, and leaves have a dense covering of silvery to rusty scales. The leaves are alternate, lanceolate, 4-9 cm long and 1-2.5 cm broad, with a smooth margin. The highly aromatic flowers are produced in clusters of 1-3 together, 1 cm long with a four-lobed creamy yellow corolla; they appear in early summer and are later replaced by clusters of fruit, a small cherry-like drupe 1-1.7 cm long, orange-red covered in silvery scales. The fruit is edible and sweet, though with a dryish mealy texture. Its common name comes from its similarity in appearance to olive (that is trees of the entirely separate family Oleaceae).
The shrub can fix nitrogen in its roots,[1] enabling it to grow on bare, mineral substrates.
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[edit] Cultivation
First cultivated in Germany in 1736, it is now widely grown across southern and central Europe as an ornamental plant: for its scented flowers, edible fruit, and attractive silver foliage and black bark. It was introduced into North America in the late 1800s, and subsequently naturalized into the wild. Russian olive is considered to be an invasive species because it has low seedling mortality rates therefore crowding out native vegetation in the wild. It often invades riparian habitat where overstory cottonwoods have died.
[edit] Propagation
Establishment and reproduction is primarily by seed, although some vegetative propagation also occurs. The fruit is readily eaten and disseminated by many species of birds. The plants begin to flower and fruit from three years old.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Elaeagnus angustifolia |
- Jepson Manual Treatment
- Species Profile - Russian Olive, National Invasive Species Information Center, National Agricultural Library. Lists general information and resources for Elaeagnus angustifolia.
- USDA Plants Profile
- Photo gallery
