''Elaeagnus'' () is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

s in the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Elaeagnaceae The Elaeagnaceae are a plant family, the oleaster family, of the order Rosales comprising small trees and shrubs, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, south into tropical Asia and Australia. The family has about 60 species in ...

. Some species of the genus are commonly known as silverberry or oleaster,

Description

''Elaeagnus'' plants are

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and botany, the term deciduous () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed Leaf, leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has Leaf, foliage that remains green and functional throughout the year. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which lose their foliage completely during the winter or dry season. Consisting of many diffe ...

shrub A shrub or bush is a small to medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees by their multiple ...

s or small

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, e.g., including only woody plants with secondary growth, only ...

s. The alternate

leaves A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, ...

and the shoots are usually covered with tiny silvery to brownish scales, giving the plants a whitish to grey-brown colour from a distance. The

flower Flowers, also known as blooms and blossoms, are the reproductive structures of flowering plants ( angiosperms). Typically, they are structured in four circular levels, called whorls, around the end of a stalk. These whorls include: calyx, m ...

s are small, with a four-lobed calyx and no petals; they are often fragrant. The

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants (angiosperms) that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which angiosperms disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particular have long propaga ...

is a fleshy

drupe In botany, a drupe (or stone fruit) is a type of fruit in which an outer fleshy part (exocarp, or skin, and mesocarp, or flesh) surrounds a single shell (the ''pip'' (UK), ''pit'' (US), ''stone'', or ''pyrena'') of hardened endocarp with a seed ...

containing a single

seed In botany, a seed is a plant structure containing an embryo and stored nutrients in a protective coat called a ''testa''. More generally, the term "seed" means anything that can be Sowing, sown, which may include seed and husk or tuber. Seeds ...

; it is edible in many species. Several species are cultivated for their fruit, including ''E. angustifolia'', ''E. umbellata'', and ''E. multiflora'' (gumi). ''E. umbellata'' contains the

carotenoid Carotenoids () are yellow, orange, and red organic pigments that are produced by plants and algae, as well as several bacteria, archaea, and fungi. Carotenoids give the characteristic color to pumpkins, carrots, parsnips, corn, tomatoes, cana ...

lycopene Lycopene is an organic compound classified as a tetraterpene and a carotene. Lycopene (from the Neo-Latin '' Lycopersicon'', the name of a former tomato genus) is a bright red carotenoid hydrocarbon found in tomatoes and other red fruits and ve ...

Taxonomy

The genus ''Elaeagnus'' was erected in 1754 by

Carl Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné,#Blunt, Blunt (2004), p. 171. was a Swedish biologist and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the modern system of naming o ...

, who attributed the name to

Joseph Pitton de Tournefort Joseph Pitton de Tournefort (5 June 165628 December 1708) was a French botanist, notable as the first to make a clear definition of the concept of genus for plants. Botanist Charles Plumier was his pupil and accompanied him on his voyages. Li ...

. There is agreement that the name is based on

Theophrastus Theophrastus (; ; c. 371 – c. 287 BC) was an ancient Greek Philosophy, philosopher and Natural history, naturalist. A native of Eresos in Lesbos, he was Aristotle's close colleague and successor as head of the Lyceum (classical), Lyceum, the ...

's use of the

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...

(, latinized to ) as the name of a shrub. The first part of the name, ''elae-'', is from , 'olive'. Sources differ on the origin of the second part: it may be from , ''

Vitex agnus-castus ''Vitex agnus-castus'' (also called vitex, chaste tree / chastetree, chasteberry, Abraham's balm, lilac chastetree, or monk's pepper) is a plant native of the Mediterranean region. It is one of the few temperate-zone species of ''Vitex'', which ...

'', the chaste tree, or from the Greek name for a kind of willow. In either case, the second part is derived from (), meaning 'pure', 'chaste'.

Species

Plants of the World Online Plants of the World Online (POWO) is an online taxonomic database published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. History Following the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew launched Plants of the World Online i ...

'' currently (February 2025) includes: # ''

Elaeagnus angustata ''Elaeagnus'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Elaeagnaceae. Some species of the genus are commonly known as silverberry or oleaster, Description ''Elaeagnus'' plants are deciduous or evergreen shrubs or small trees. The alte ...

'' (China) # ''

Elaeagnus angustifolia ''Elaeagnus angustifolia'', commonly called Russian olive, silver berry, oleaster, or wild olive, is a species of ''Elaeagnus'', native to Asia and limited areas of eastern Europe. It is widely established in North America as an introduced specie ...

'' – type species – oleaster, Russian olive, etc. (western Asia) # ''

Elaeagnus annamensis ''Elaeagnus'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Elaeagnaceae. Some species of the genus are commonly known as silverberry or oleaster, Description ''Elaeagnus'' plants are deciduous or evergreen shrubs or small trees. The alter ...

'' # ''

Elaeagnus arakiana ''Elaeagnus'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Elaeagnaceae. Some species of the genus are commonly known as silverberry or oleaster, Description ''Elaeagnus'' plants are deciduous or evergreen shrubs or small trees. The alter ...

'' # ''

Elaeagnus argyi ''Elaeagnus'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family (biology), family Elaeagnaceae. Some species of the genus are commonly known as silverberry or oleaster, Description ''Elaeagnus'' plants are deciduous or evergreen shrubs or smal ...

'' (China) # ''

Elaeagnus bambusetorum ''Elaeagnus'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Elaeagnaceae. Some species of the genus are commonly known as silverberry or oleaster, Description ''Elaeagnus'' plants are deciduous or evergreen shrubs or small trees. The alte ...

'' (China) # ''

Elaeagnus bockii ''Elaeagnus'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Elaeagnaceae. Some species of the genus are commonly known as silverberry or oleaster, Description ''Elaeagnus'' plants are deciduous or evergreen shrubs or small trees. The alte ...

'' (China) # ''

Elaeagnus bonii ''Elaeagnus'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Elaeagnaceae. Some species of the genus are commonly known as silverberry or oleaster, Description ''Elaeagnus'' plants are deciduous or evergreen shrubs or small trees. The alte ...

'' # ''

Elaeagnus calcarea ''Elaeagnus'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Elaeagnaceae. Some species of the genus are commonly known as silverberry or oleaster, Description ''Elaeagnus'' plants are deciduous or evergreen shrubs or small trees. The alte ...

'' # ''

Elaeagnus caudata ''Elaeagnus'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Elaeagnaceae. Some species of the genus are commonly known as silverberry or oleaster, Description ''Elaeagnus'' plants are deciduous or evergreen shrubs or small trees. The alter ...

'' # '' Elaeagnus cinnamomifolia'' (China) # ''

Elaeagnus commutata ''Elaeagnus commutata'', the silverberry or wolf-willow, is a species of ''Elaeagnus'' native to western and boreal North America, from southern Alaska through British Columbia east to Quebec, south to Utah, and across the upper Midwestern United ...

'' – American silverberry or wolf-willow (North America) # '' Elaeagnus conferta'' (southern Asia) # '' Elaeagnus courtoisii'' (China) # ''

Elaeagnus darenensis ''Elaeagnus'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family (biology), family Elaeagnaceae. Some species of the genus are commonly known as silverberry or oleaster, Description ''Elaeagnus'' plants are deciduous or evergreen shrubs or smal ...

'' (China) # ''

Elaeagnus davidi ''Elaeagnus'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Elaeagnaceae. Some species of the genus are commonly known as silverberry or oleaster, Description ''Elaeagnus'' plants are deciduous or evergreen shrubs or small trees. The alter ...

'' (China) # '' Elaeagnus delavayi'' # '' Elaeagnus difficilis'' # ''

Elaeagnus elongatus ''Elaeagnus'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Elaeagnaceae. Some species of the genus are commonly known as silverberry or oleaster, Description ''Elaeagnus'' plants are deciduous or evergreen shrubs or small trees. The alter ...

'' # '' Elaeagnus epitricha'' # '' Elaeagnus fasciculata'' # '' Elaeagnus formosana'' # '' Elaeagnus formosensis'' (Taiwan) # '' Elaeagnus geniculata'' # '' Elaeagnus glabra'' (eastern Asia) # '' Elaeagnus gonyanthes'' (China) # ''

Elaeagnus grandifolia ''Elaeagnus'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Elaeagnaceae. Some species of the genus are commonly known as silverberry or oleaster, Description ''Elaeagnus'' plants are deciduous or evergreen shrubs or small trees. The alter ...

Elaeagnus liukiuensis ''Elaeagnus'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Elaeagnaceae. Some species of the genus are commonly known as silverberry or oleaster, Description ''Elaeagnus'' plants are deciduous or evergreen shrubs or small trees. The alter ...

'' # '' Elaeagnus liuzhouensis'' (China) # '' Elaeagnus longiloba'' (China) # '' Elaeagnus loureiroi'' (southern China) # '' Elaeagnus luoxiangensis'' (China) # '' Elaeagnus luxiensis'' (China) # '' Elaeagnus macrantha'' (China) # '' Elaeagnus macrophylla'' (eastern Asia) # '' Elaeagnus magna'' # '' Elaeagnus × maritima'' # '' Elaeagnus matsunoana'' # '' Elaeagnus maximowiczii'' # '' Elaeagnus micrantha'' (China) # '' Elaeagnus mollis'' (China) # '' Elaeagnus montana'' # '' Elaeagnus multiflora'' – cherry silverberry or gumi (eastern Asia) # '' Elaeagnus murakamiana'' # ''

Elaeagnus numajiriana ''Elaeagnus'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Elaeagnaceae. Some species of the genus are commonly known as silverberry or oleaster, Description ''Elaeagnus'' plants are deciduous or evergreen shrubs or small trees. The alter ...

'' # '' Elaeagnus obovatifolia'' # '' Elaeagnus oldhamii'' (China) # '' Elaeagnus ovata'' (China) # '' Elaeagnus pallidiflora'' (China) # '' Elaeagnus pilostyla'' # '' Elaeagnus pingnanensis'' # '' Elaeagnus pungens'' – silverthorn (Japan) # '' Elaeagnus pyriformis'' (eastern

Himalaya The Himalayas, or Himalaya ( ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the Earth's highest peaks, including the highest, Mount Everest. More than 100 pea ...

) # '' Elaeagnus × reflexa'' # '' Elaeagnus retrostyla'' (China) # '' Elaeagnus rivularis'' # ''

Elaeagnus rotundata ''Elaeagnus'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Elaeagnaceae. Some species of the genus are commonly known as silverberry or oleaster, Description ''Elaeagnus'' plants are deciduous or evergreen shrubs or small trees. The alte ...

'' # '' Elaeagnus s-stylata'' # '' Elaeagnus sarmentosa'' (China) # '' Elaeagnus schlechtendalii'' (China) # '' Elaeagnus stellipila'' (China) # '' Elaeagnus × submacrophylla'' # ''

Elaeagnus takeshitae ''Elaeagnus'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Elaeagnaceae. Some species of the genus are commonly known as silverberry or oleaster, Description ''Elaeagnus'' plants are deciduous or evergreen shrubs or small trees. The alter ...

'' # '' Elaeagnus taliensis'' (China) # '' Elaeagnus tarokoensis'' # '' Elaeagnus thunbergii'' (China) # '' Elaeagnus tonkinensis'' (southeastern Asia) # '' Elaeagnus tricholepis'' # '' Elaeagnus triflora'' (southeastern Asia, northeast Australia) # '' Elaeagnus tubiflora'' (China) # '' Elaeagnus tutcheri'' (southern China) # ''

Elaeagnus umbellata ''Elaeagnus umbellata'' is known as Japanese silverberry, umbellata oleaster, autumn olive, autumn elaeagnus, spreading oleaster, autumnberry, or autumn berry. The species is indigenous to eastern Asia and ranges from the Himalayas eastwards to J ...

'' – Japanese silverberry or autumn olive (eastern Asia) # '' Elaeagnus viridis'' (China) # '' Elaeagnus wenshanensis'' (China) # '' Elaeagnus xichouensis'' (China) # '' Elaeagnus xingwenensis'' (China) # '' Elaeagnus xizangensis'' (China) # ''

Elaeagnus yakusimensis ''Elaeagnus'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Elaeagnaceae. Some species of the genus are commonly known as silverberry or oleaster, Description ''Elaeagnus'' plants are deciduous or evergreen shrubs or small trees. The alter ...

'' # '' Elaeagnus yoshinoi'' (China) # '' Elaeagnus yunnanensis'' (

Yunnan Yunnan; is an inland Provinces of China, province in Southwestern China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 47.2 million (as of 2020). The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders the Chinese provinces ...

)

Species names with uncertain taxonomic status

The following species have been placed in other genera or their status has been considered unresolved: * ''Elaeagnus arakiana'' Koidz. * ''Elaeagnus asakawana'' Sa.Kurata * ''Elaeagnus attenuata'' Nakai * ''Elaeagnus crocea'' Nakai * ''Elaeagnus cyanea'' Aiton ex Steud. * ''Elaeagnus emarginata'' Colla * ''Elaeagnus fasciculata'' (Wall. ex Steud.) A.Nelson * ''Elaeagnus fragrans'' Nakai * ''Elaeagnus fruticosa'' (Lour.) A.Chev. * ''Elaeagnus fusca'' Pépin ex Lem. * ''Elaeagnus higoensis'' Nakai * ''Elaeagnus kiusiana'' Nakai * ''Elaeagnus laetevirens'' Lindb. * ''Elaeagnus latifolia'' Lour. * ''Elaeagnus mayeharai'' Nakai * ''Elaeagnus nagasakiana'' Nakai * ''Elaeagnus numajiriana'' Makino * ''Elaeagnus oleaster'' L. * ''Elaeagnus pauciflora'' C.Y. Chang (China) * ''Elaeagnus philippinensis'' Perrott. – lingaro berry (Philippines) * ''Elaeagnus'' × ''pyramidalis'' Browicz & Bugala (''E. commutata'' × ''E. multiflora'') * ''Elaeagnus oxycarpa'' Schltdl. (China) * '' Elaeagnus rhamnoides'' (L.) A.Nelson * ''Elaeagnus rotundifolia'' (Parry) A.Nelson * ''Elaeagnus sativa'' Dippel * ''Elaeagnus undulata'' auct. * ''Elaeagnus utilis'' A.Nelson * ''Elaeagnus veteris-castelli'' Lepage

Hybrids

The following hybrids have been described: * ''Elaeagnus'' × ''maritima'' Koidz. * ''Elaeagnus'' × ''reflexa'' E.Morren & Decne. (''E. pungens'' × ''E. glabra'') * ''Elaeagnus'' × ''submacrophylla'' Servett. (''E. macrophylla'' × ''E. pungens'')

Habitat

The vast majority of the species are

native Native may refer to: People * '' Jus sanguinis'', nationality by blood * '' Jus soli'', nationality by location of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Nat ...

temperate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (approximately 23.5° to 66.5° N/S of the Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ran ...

and

subtropical The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical zone, geographical and Köppen climate classification, climate zones immediately to the Northern Hemisphere, north and Southern Hemisphere, south of the tropics. Geographically part of the Ge ...

regions of Asia. ''Elaeagnus triflora'' extends from Asia south into northeastern Australia, while ''E. commutata'' is native to North America, and ''Elaeagnus philippinensis'' is native to the Philippines. One of the Asian species, ''E. angustifolia,'' may also be native in southeasternmost Europe, though it may instead be an early human introduction there. Also, several Asiatic species of ''Elaeagnus'' have become established as

introduced species An introduced species, alien species, exotic species, adventive species, immigrant species, foreign species, non-indigenous species, or non-native species is a species living outside its native distributional range, but which has arrived ther ...

in North America, with some of these species being considered invasive, or even designated as noxious, in portions of the United States.

Ecology

''Elaeagnus'' species are used as food plants by the

larva A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase ...

e of some

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) or lepidopterans is an order (biology), order of winged insects which includes butterflies and moths. About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera have been described, representing 10% of the total described species of living organ ...

species including ''

Coleophora elaeagnisella The speckled casebearer moth (''Coleophora elaeagnisella'') is a species of moth in the family Coleophoridae. It is found in North America, from the Great Lakes northward, including Michigan and Ontario. The larvae feed on the leaves of ''Elaea ...

'' and the Gothic

moth Moths are a group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not Butterfly, butterflies. They were previously classified as suborder Heterocera, but the group is Paraphyly, paraphyletic with respect to butterflies (s ...

s. The thorny shrubs can also provide good nesting sites for birds.

Nitrogen fixation

Many ''Elaeagnus'' species harbor

nitrogen-fixing Nitrogen fixation is a chemical process by which molecular dinitrogen () is converted into ammonia (). It occurs both biologically and abiological nitrogen fixation, abiologically in chemical industry, chemical industries. Biological nitrogen ...

organisms in their roots, so are able to grow well in low-nitrogen soils. This ability results in multiple ecological consequences where these ''Elaeagnus'' species are present. They can become invasive in many locations where they are established as

exotic species An introduced species, alien species, exotic species, adventive species, immigrant species, foreign species, non-indigenous species, or non-native species is a species living outside its native distributional range, but which has arrived ther ...

. Two species ('' E. pungens'' and '' E. umbellata'') are currently rated as category II noxious, invasive species in many world regions and by the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council.

Cultivation

''Elaeagnus'' species are widely cultivated for their showy, often variegated, foliage, and numerous

cultivar A cultivar is a kind of Horticulture, cultivated plant that people have selected for desired phenotypic trait, traits and which retains those traits when Plant propagation, propagated. Methods used to propagate cultivars include division, root a ...

s and hybrids have been developed. The fruit is acidic and somewhat astringent. It makes good tarts. Notable species and hybrids in cultivation include:- *''

'' *''

'' *'' Elaeagnus macrophylla'' *'' Elaeagnus multiflora'' *'' Elaeagnus pungens'' *''Elaeagnus'' × ''reflexa'' * ''Elaeagnus'' × ''submacrophylla'' ( syn. ''E.'' × ''ebbingei'') *''

'' The hybrid ''Elaeagnus'' × ''submacrophylla'' and the cultivar 'Gilt Edge' have gained the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr ...

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. It includes the full range of cultivated p ...

References

External links

''eFloras'' Chinese Plant list: ''Elaeagnus''
{{Authority control Rosales genera