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Sprouts & Seedlings

Autumn olive

Elaeagnus umbellata

Invasive shrub spread by birds. Berries are edible but the plant should not be moved or planted.

Autumn olive: Whole plant
Whole plantPhoto: Lynn Harper · CC0 · source
Autumn olive: Whole plant
Whole plantPhoto: Roy Boyle · CC0 · source
Autumn olive: Whole plant
Whole plantPhoto: John Brown · CC0 · source
Autumn olive: Flower
FlowerPhoto: Ryan Hodnett · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Key features

  • Alternate, oval leaves with wavy edges and silvery scales on the underside
  • Small silvery-scaly twigs, some with thorns
  • Fragrant cream-yellow flowers in May
  • Red, speckled berries in fall

Warnings

  • Do not transplant or plant it; it fixes nitrogen and displaces natives.

Best time to move

April, May, June, July, August, September, October

Fragrant creamy flowers in May; red berries in fall.

Habitat

Old fields, fencerows, roadsides and disturbed land.

Educational reference only. Never eat a wild plant or mushroom based on a website or app. Confirm with an experienced forager, your local extension office, or a mycological club. Poison Control (US): 1-800-222-1222. Call 911 for severe symptoms.