Eleagnus umbellata

Autumn Olive (Elaeagnus umbellata), also known as Autumn Elaeagnus, is a hardy deciduous shrub appreciated for its resilience, fragrant flowering and edible autumn berries.

In spring, it produces small creamy-white flowers with a powerful sweet fragrance, highly attractive to bees and other pollinating insects. These are followed in autumn by small red berries, often speckled with silver, with a pleasantly tangy flavour when fully ripe.

The fruit can be eaten fresh when very ripe or used for jams, juices, sauces and preserves. The berries are also appreciated by birds and wildlife.

Autumn Olive is a vigorous and adaptable shrub, useful in hedgerows, wildlife plantings and difficult sites. Like many Elaeagnus species, it can fix atmospheric nitrogen through its roots, helping it grow in poorer soils.

This species tolerates drought, wind and poor soils once established, and is well suited to resilient garden and landscape planting.