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Elaeagnus pungens
Also called Russian olive, Spiny Oleaster, Thorny Elaeagnus, Silverthorn
Elaeagnus pungens is a species of flowering plant in the family Elaeagnaceae, known by the common names thorny olive, spiny oleaster and silverthorn; also by the family name "oleaster". It is native to Asia, including China and Japan. It is present in the southeastern United States as an introduced species, a common landscaping and ornamental plant, and sometimes an invasive species.
Despite its invasive potential, E. pungens is widely cultivated as a garden plant in temperate regions. It tolerates varied environmental conditions, including heat, cold, wind, coastal conditions, shade, and full sun. It is very drought-tolerant. It can grow in varied soil types, including those found at mine spoils. Numerous cultivars have been developed, especially for variegated foliage effects. Commercially available cultivars include 'Maculata', which has gold coloration on the leaves, as well as 'Fruitlandii', 'Hosoba-Fukurin' and 'Goldrim'.
Elaeagnus × submacrophylla, formerly known as E. × ebbingei, is a hybrid between E. macrophylla and E. pungens. The hybrid and its cultivars are also grown in gardens as ornamental plants.
In China this plant occurs on hillsides and in thickets. In Japan it grows in scrub dominated by Quercus phillyraeoides and Pittosporum tobira. This plant was introduced to the United States from Asia in 1830. It has been used extensively as a landscaping plant. Its densely packed, spreading form has proved useful along roadsides and highway medians. It was also used to revegetate abandoned mining sites in Kentucky and other areas. It took hold easily and still persists in these places. It also spread into the wild, having escaped cultivation. In North Carolina it has been reported from longleaf pine forests, urban and maritime forests, and oak-hickory woodlands. In Alabama it grows in urban areas and in protected, natural habitats as a weed. The South Carolina Southern Weed Science Society places it as an invasive species in their local area.
Russian olive · Silverberry · Eastern Silverberry · Oleaster · Broad Leaved Oleaster · Cherry silverberry · Elaeagnus reflexa · Hybrid Broad Leaf Oleaster · Elaeagnus tonkinensis · Milla Milla vine · Autumn olive · Oleaster
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Elaeagnus pungens by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
