Autumn Olive

Order: Rosales

Family: Elaeagnaceae

Genus: Elaegnus

Species: E. umbellata

Identifying Characteristics:

-A woody shrub that may reach up to 20 feet in height

-yellow to cream colored flowers that appear in the spring and bunches of red berries that appear in the early fall.

- Leaves: Alternate, elliptic to ovate in outline, approximately 1 1/4 to 3 inches long, 1/2 to 1 1/4 inches wide. Upper leaf surfaces are dark green while leaf undersides are covered with grayish or silver 'scales'. Leaf margins are often wavy (undulate) and are untoothed

- Flowers: Occur in clusters of 5 to 10 in the region between the central stem and branches (axillary clusters). Individual flowers are approximately 1/2 inch long, are creamy white to yellow in color, and are also covered with silvery 'scales'

Special Adaptions:

- Autumn olive was introduced into the United States from east Asia in the 1830's and is now an invasive weed of pastures, hay fields, roadsides, and rights-of-way. Autumn olive is found from Maine to Virginia, and west to Wisconsin.

- Many things eat the berries, humans, mammals, birds, insects