Elaeagnus, Thorny olive, Thorny Elaeagnus, Oleaster, Silverberry, Silverthorn, Pungent Elaeagnus
Elaeagnus pungens
Family: Elaeagnaceae
What it is like
Bloom Color: White. Main Bloom Time: Early spring, Early winter, Late spring, Late winter, Mid spring, Mid winter. Form: Rounded, Spreading or horizontal.
Elaeagnus pungens is an evergreen Shrub growing to 4 m (13ft) by 4 m (13ft) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 7 and is not frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower from November to February, and the seeds ripen from April to May. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees. It can fix Nitrogen. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in heavy clay and nutritionally poor soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in full shade (deep woodland) semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure.
Height (m): 4
Where it is found
Sunny slopes, road sides and thickets in lowlands, usually below 1000 metres and especially by the sea.
E. Asia - China, Japan.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, Australia, China, Japan*, North America, USA,
How it is used
Food
Rating: 5
Fruit - raw or cooked. About the size of a large blackcurrant, though the seed is also quite large. A nice sub-acid flavour when fully ripe but astringent if eaten before then. Can be made into preserves, drinks etc. The oval fruit is about 15mm long. Seed - raw or cooked. It can be eaten with the fruit though the seed case is rather fibrous. A taste vaguely reminiscent of peanuts. The seed contains 42.2% protein and 23.1% fat on a zero moisture basis.
Seed: includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.
Medicine
Rating: 2
The fruit of many members of this genus is a very rich source of vitamins and minerals, especially in vitamins A, C and E, flavanoids and other bio-active compounds. It is also a fairly good source of essential fatty acids, which is fairly unusual for a fruit. It is being investigated as a food that is capable of reducing the incidence of cancer and also as a means of halting or reversing the growth of cancers. The leaves and the stems are concocted and used in the treatment of asthma, cough, diarrhoea, haemorrhoids etc. The seed is used to treat watery diarrhoea. The root is astringent and is applied to sores, itchy skin etc.
Antiasthmatic: Treats asthma.
Antitussive: Prevents or relieves coughing.
Astringent: Produces contraction in living tissue, reducing the flow of secretions and discharges of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.
Cancer: Used in the treatment of cancer.
Other
Rating: 3
Plants can be grown as a hedge in exposed positions, tolerating maritime exposure. Succeeds when planted under trees that have become bare at the base, in time it will scramble up into the tree and fill out the bottom.
Hedge: Plants that can be grown as hedges.
Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.
Hedge: Hedge
Nitrogen Fixer: Plants that fix nitrogen in the soil
Scented Plants: Plants noted for their scent
How it is grown
Landscape Uses:Cascades, Erosion control, Hedge, Screen, Seashore. Succeeds in most soils that are well-drained. Dislikes very alkaline soils. Prefers a soil that is only moderately fertile, succeeding in poor soils and in dry soils. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Very drought and shade resistant. Tolerates maritime exposure. Plants are hardy to about -15°c. The foliage can be damaged in severe wind-chill conditions. This is a potentially valuable fruit crop, fruiting as it does in April and May. There are a number of named varieties and so there is plenty of scope for improving size and quality of fruit by selective breeding. Most cultivars are variegated and therefore slower-growing than the species. This species is notably resistant to honey fungus. The small flowers have a sweet but pungent aroma. They pervade the garden for some distance on sunny days. Closely related to E. glabra. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby. An excellent companion plant, when grown in orchards it can increase yields from the fruit trees by up to 10%. Special Features:Not North American native, Naturalizing, Fragrant flowers, Inconspicuous flowers or blooms. The plant is heat tolerant in zones 9 through 7. (Plant Hardiness Zones show how well plants withstand cold winter temperatures. Plant Heat Zones show when plants would start suffering from the heat. The Plant Heat Zone map is based on the number of "heat days" experienced in a given area where the temperature climbs to over 86 degrees F (30°C). At this temperature, many plants begin to suffer physiological damage. Heat Zones range from 1 (no heat days) to 12 (210 or more heat days). For example Heat Zone. 11-1 indicates that the plant is heat tolerant in zones 11 through 1.)
Propagating it: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. It should germinate freely within 4 weeks, though it may take 18 months. Stored seed can be very slow to germinate, often taking more than 18 months. A warm stratification for 4 weeks followed by 12 weeks cold stratification can help. The seed usually (eventually) germinates quite well. Prick out the seedlings into individual pot as soon as they are large enough to handle and plant out when they are at least 15cm tall. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 7 - 10cm with a heel, July/August in a frame. Good percentage. It is best to take the cuttings in June. Cuttings of mature wood of the current year's growth, 10 - 12cm with a heel, November in a frame. Leave for 12 months. Fair to good percentage. Layering in September/October. Takes 12 months.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Shady Edge; not Deep Shade; Hedge;
Habit: Shrub
Hardiness: 6-10
Growth: Medium
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Full shade, semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Dry, moist
Things to keep in mind
Its other names
Local names
Nawashiro-gumi,