Autumn Olive

Autumn Olive

Autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata) is a fast-growing deciduous shrub from eastern Asia and was brought to the U.S. for ornamental purposes, erosion control, and to provide food for wildlife. It has leaves that are covered on silver specs, with a very silvery underside. Autumn Olive also produces many pale, white, fragrant flowers that develop into red berries, which also have silver specs. These features, along with extremely tart, yet edible fruit, are key features needed to identify this species. Just one plant can produce up to 80 pounds of fruit, and in New England, each seed has a 90% chance to germinate. Wildlife quickly disperse these seeds, leading to its spread across the eastern United States. Autumn olive also has nitrogen fixing capabilities, allowing it to thrive in poor soil conditions. Since it is a nitrogen fixer, it can negatively affect the nitrogen cycles of native plant communities that rely on infertile soils.

Keys To Success

Management of autumn olive involves physical removal, herbicides, and promoting native vegetation to replace it.  It is most effectively managed with the cut and paint method using systemic herbicides like glyphosate and triclopyr. Cutting and painting is effective for larger plants and hand pulling is effective for smaller plants. Always monitor for regrowth and reapply herbicide when necessary (within the confines of the herbicide label).