Elaeagnus umbellata, +/- 30 cm plant height

• Type: Autumn olive
• Latin name: Elaeagnus umbellata
• Mature height: 2–4 m
• Leaves: silvery, silver-scaly beneath
• Ripening: autumn
• Height when sold: ≈ 30 cm
• Light: sunny
• Winter hardiness: USDA 3–8

Planting Plant in spring (late April – May) or autumn (September) in a sunny spot with fertile, well-drained soil; wet spots with standing water are unsuitable. Dig a hole twice as wide as the pot, mix the excavated soil with compost, set the plant at the same depth it grew in the pot and water generously. Space plants 2–3 m apart.

Watering Water a young plant regularly for the first two years and more often in dry spells; an established plant needs watering only in long dry periods. Mulch the soil with bark or wood chips.

Pruning Prune in spring before bud break: remove dead and crossing branches and shape the shrub if needed; it grows fast and tolerates hard pruning.

Feeding and winter care Autumn olive fixes atmospheric nitrogen through its roots, so it needs no nitrogen fertiliser; add compost in spring if needed. The plant is hardy in Estonia; protect a young plant in its first winter with mulch and spruce boughs if needed, and the trunk against hares and frost cracks.