# thorny olive (*Elaeagnus pungens*) The thorny olive is a bushy plant with shiny leaves and small, yellow flowers. It has sharp thorns that help protect it from animals. This plant is great for gardens and can grow in many places! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Snaps:** 3 - **Habitat:** Urban areas ![thorny olive](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Elaeagnus_pungens_2307057.jpg&width=800) Photo: James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org, CC BY 3.0 us · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Elaeagnus_pungens_2307057.jpg) ## Appearance The thorny olive is an evergreen shrub with dense, spreading branches and sharp thorns. Its oval leaves are dark green and glossy on top, contrasting with a shimmering silvery-scaly underside. Small, fragrant, bell-shaped flowers are silvery-white, followed by red berries speckled with silver. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Rosales - **Family:** Elaeagnaceae - **Genus:** Elaeagnus ## Interesting facts - Its small flowers fill the autumn air with an intense, sweet perfume! - The tart, cranberry-like berries are loved by birds, and even humans can eat them! - This plant is so tough it can survive salty sea spray near beaches! - You can rub the silvery underside of its leaves to write secret messages! ## Special abilities - **Armor Plating:** It has super sharp thorns on its branches that help defend against hungry animals trying to eat its leaves. - **Soil Supercharger:** It can take nitrogen from the air and put it into the soil, acting like a natural fertilizer for itself. - **Evergreen Guardian:** Its leaves stay green all year long, helping it make food even when other plants have lost their leaves. - **Tough Survivor:** It can grow in very dry, poor soil, making it a champion at surviving harsh conditions. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 200-400 cm - **Spread:** 200-400 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.5-1 cm - **Bloom Season:** Fall - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Symbiotic with:** Frankia bacteria (*Frankia alni*) — fixes nitrogen in its roots. - **Pollinates:** European Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — gathers nectar from sweet-smelling flowers. - **Eaten by:** [American Robin](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-robin) (*Turdus migratorius*) — enjoys the red berries. - **Eaten by:** [White-tailed Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — browses on leaves and twigs. ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [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. - [Evergreen](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/evergreen): Evergreen plants retain their foliage throughout the year, never shedding all their leaves at once. - [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense. - [Thorny Stem](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/thorny-stem): Pertaining to plants that have stems covered with sharp, pointed projections for defense. - [Drought Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/drought-tolerant): Drought-tolerant plants can survive and flourish in conditions with limited water availability. - [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. - [Longevous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/longevous): This trait characterizes organisms with an exceptionally long lifespan compared to others of their kind. - [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:** 2/5 · Low Be careful of the sharp thorns on this plant when exploring! ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify thorny 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 thorny olive? 200-400 cm ### How wide does thorny olive spread? 200-400 cm ### How big are the flowers on thorny olive? 0.5-1 cm ### When does thorny olive bloom? Fall ### Is thorny olive edible? Yes ### Is thorny olive toxic? None ### What is thorny olive's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Charleston Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/charleston-historic-district) — South Carolina, US · Historic District - [Commerce Street Residential Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/commerce-street-residential-historic-district) — Alabama, US · Historic District - [East Commerce Street Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/east-commerce-street-historic-district) — Alabama, US · Historic District - [French Quarter](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/french-quarter) — US · Neighborhood - [Caldwell Street Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/caldwell-street-historic-district) — South Carolina, US · Historic District - [Fort Dale-College Street Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fort-dale-college-street-historic-district) — Alabama, US · Historic District [View all places to see thorny olive](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/thorny-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: [Thorny Olive: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/thorny-olive)