# autumn olive (*Elaeagnus umbellata*) Autumn olive is a bushy plant that has pretty silver leaves and small, yellow flowers. It produces tasty red berries that many animals love to eat! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 46 - **Habitat:** Urban areas ![autumn olive](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Elaeagnus_umbellata1.jpg&width=800) Photo: KENPEI, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Elaeagnus_umbellata1.jpg) ## Appearance The autumn olive is a large shrub with oblong leaves, distinctively silvery-green above and covered with tiny silver scales underneath. It has small, fragrant, pale yellow flowers in spring, followed by abundant, shiny, round red berries speckled with silver dots in autumn. Its dense, irregular branching gives it a bushy appearance. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Rosales - **Family:** Elaeagnaceae - **Genus:** Elaeagnus ## Interesting facts - Despite being a shrub, it can grow as tall as a small house! - Its bright red berries are packed with powerful antioxidants, even more than blueberries! - Native to Asia, this plant was brought to other countries many years ago! - The autumn olive is an amazing survivor, growing in tough places where other plants struggle! ## Special abilities - **Nitrogen Nurturer:** Autumn olive can make its own soil fertilizer using special root partners, helping it grow strong even in poor soil. - **Berry Machine:** Autumn olive has a super-berry power, making thousands of fruits to spread its seeds widely and feed many animals. - **Drought Defender:** Autumn olive has tough leaves and roots that let it survive even when there's not much water. - **Quick Conqueror:** Autumn olive has incredibly fast growth and spreads quickly, allowing it to take over new areas rapidly. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 300-600 cm - **Spread:** 300-500 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.5-1 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late spring to early summer - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** [American Robin](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-robin) (*Turdus migratorius*) — Consumes berries and spreads seeds far away. - **Eats:** [Cedar Waxwing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/cedar-waxwing) (*Bombycilla cedrorum*) — Feeds on abundant berries, especially in autumn. - **Pollinates:** Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Visits fragrant flowers to collect nectar and pollen. - **Eats:** [White-tailed Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — Browses its leaves and twigs, especially in winter. - **Symbiotic with:** Frankia Bacteria (*Frankia alni*) — Fixes nitrogen in its root nodules, enriching the soil. ## Traits - [Deciduous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/deciduous): Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons. - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Nitrogen Fixing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/nitrogen-fixing): Describes organisms capable of converting atmospheric nitrogen into compounds usable by plants. - [Shrub](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shrub): A shrub is a woody plant smaller than a tree, typically with multiple stems branching from or near the ground. - [Fruit Bearing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fruit-bearing): Fruit-bearing plants produce fruits, which are the mature ovaries of flowering plants containing seeds. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Rapid Growing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/rapid-growing): Rapid growing plants exhibit accelerated growth rates, quickly increasing in size and biomass within a short period. - [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low While the berries are tasty, make sure to ask an adult before eating any wild plants. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify autumn olive? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is autumn olive? 300-600 cm ### How wide does autumn olive spread? 300-500 cm ### How big are the flowers on autumn olive? 0.5-1 cm ### When does autumn olive bloom? Late spring to early summer ### Is autumn olive edible? Yes ### Is autumn olive toxic? None ### What is autumn olive's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Battle Creek Cypress Swamp Sanctuary](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/battle-creek-cypress-swamp-sanctuary) — Maryland, US · Nature Reserve - [Copicut Woods](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/copicut-woods) — Massachusetts, US · Nature Reserve - [East Windsor Hill Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/east-windsor-hill-historic-district) — Connecticut, US · Historic District - [Glen Haven](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/glen-haven) — Michigan, US · Historic District - [Haym Salomon Memorial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/haym-salomon-memorial-park) — Pennsylvania, US · Park - [Kal-Haven Trail](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/kal-haven-trail) — Michigan, US · Trail [View all places to see autumn olive](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/autumn-olive) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Autumn Olive: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/autumn-olive)