Elaeagnus umbellata - Autumn olive

Autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata) is a deciduous shrub known for its silver-green leaves and small, red berries. The berries are rich in lycopene and can be used in jellies and sauces. However, autumn olive is considered invasive in many areas due to its rapid spread and ability to outcompete native plants.

Inputs

• Hardiness zone 3¹
• Hardiness zone 4¹
• Hardiness zone 5¹
• Hardiness zone 6¹
• Hardiness zone 7¹
• Hardiness zone 8¹
• Hardiness zone 9¹

Outputs

• Poultry forage²
• Winter fruits for birds³
• Human food⁴

Type

• Shrub
• Deciduous

Functions

• Nitrogen fixer⁵
• Wildlife habitat⁴
• Windbreak¹
• Hedge¹

Footnotes

1. Elaeagnus umbellata - Autumn Olive | Plants for a Future ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹

2. Gaia’s Garden - A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture, 2nd Edition Appendix ↩

3. Gaia’s Garden - A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture, 2nd Edition Table 7-2 ↩

4. Gaia’s Garden - A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture, 2nd Edition Table 10-1 ↩ ↩²

5. Gaia’s Garden - A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture, 2nd Edition Table 6-3 ↩