# Autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata)

> A dense, thorny large shrub or small tree with silver-backed leaves, fragrant creamy flowers in late spring and masses of red, silver-flecked berries in fall that are tart, edible and rich in lycopene. It fixes nitrogen and was planted widely for wildlife and mine reclamation, then exploded across old fields, roadsides and forest edges from the Atlantic to the prairies, forming thickets that crowd out native plants and alter soils. It is banned or restricted in many eastern and midwestern states.

Source: https://treerm.org/trees/elaeagnus-umbellata · Updated 2026-11-08 · License CC BY 4.0

## Facts

- Also called: Japanese silverberry, Autumnberry
- Family: Elaeagnaceae
- Type: Broadleaf, drops leaves
- Mature height: 4 m; spread 6 m
- Growth: Fast growing
- USDA hardiness zones: 4 to 9
- Light: Sun or part shade
- Water: Low water
- Soil: Any well-drained soil including poor, sandy and acid soils; not wet sites
- Native range: Native to eastern Asia from the Himalayas to Japan.

**Benefits:** Fixes nitrogen, Edible, Birds, Drought tolerant, Holds soil

**Good for:** Hedgerow

**Watch out for:** Invasive elsewhere, Thorns, Messy fruit

## Care

Not recommended for planting. Removal: pull seedlings with all roots; cut larger stems and treat stumps, since they resprout. Birds spread the seeds, so remove fruiting plants first.

## Where it stands

- **Native:** Japan (Native to eastern Asia from the Himalayas to Japan.)
- **Invasive:** ON, Canada (Listed as an invasive plant by the Ontario Invasive Plant Council.); MA, United States (Rated Invasive by the Massachusetts Invasive Plant Advisory Group.); PA, United States (On Pennsylvania DCNR's invasive plant fact sheet list.); VA, United States (Virginia DCR Invasive Plant Species List, High invasiveness rank.)
- **Prohibited:** CT, United States (Invasive on the Connecticut Invasive Plant List; sale and movement prohibited by statute.); IN, United States (Regulated under Indiana's Terrestrial Plant Rule (312 IAC 18-3-25): illegal to sell, distribute or transport.); MN, United States (Restricted Noxious Weed in Minnesota: cannot be imported, sold or transported.); NH, United States (On New Hampshire's prohibited invasive species list (Agr 3800).); NY, United States (Prohibited invasive species under 6 NYCRR Part 575: cannot be sold, imported, transported or propagated.); WI, United States (Restricted under Wisconsin NR 40.)

## Sources

- https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/elaeagnus-umbellata/
- https://plants.usda.gov/plant-profile/ELUM
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elaeagnus_umbellata
- https://www.mda.state.mn.us/plants-insects/minnesota-noxious-weed-list
- https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Invasives/RegulatedSpecies
- https://cipwg.uconn.edu/invasive_plant_list/
- https://gc.nh.gov/rules/state_agencies/agr3800.html
- https://extapps.dec.ny.gov/docs/lands_forests_pdf/isprohibitedplants2.pdf
- https://www.in.gov/dnr/rules-and-regulations/invasive-species/terrestrial-invasive-species-plants
- https://www.massnrc.org/mipag/invasive.htm
- https://www.pa.gov/en/agencies/dcnr/conservation/wild-plants/invasive-plants/invasive-plant-fact-sheets.html
- https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/document/nh-invasive-plant-list-2024.pdf
- https://www.ontarioinvasiveplants.ca/invasive-plants/species/autumn-olive-2/