Elaeagnus umbellata Thunb., Elaeagnaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Threat only at high elevations?  yes

Risk assessment results:  High risk, score: 13 (Go to the risk assessment)

Other Latin names:  Elaeagnus parvifolia Royle

Common name(s): [more details]

English: autumn elaeagnus, autumn olive, oleaster, silverberry

Habit:  shrub

Description:  "Deciduous shrubs 2-4 m tall; branches slender, spreading, more or less spiny, the young branches densely scaly.  Leaves elliptic to ovate-oblong, 4-8 cm long, 1-2 (-2.5) cm wide, upper surface sparsely white lepidote, lower surface densely white lepidote, apex acute to sometimes obtuse, petioles 0.5-1 cm long, densely white lepidote.  Flowers 1-7 in axillary umbels, densely white lepidote, pedicels 3-6 (-8) mm long, elongating up to 12 mm long in fruit; hypanthium slender, gradually narrowed at base, 5-7 mm long; calyx lobes narrowly ovate, ca 3-5 mm long.  Fruit red, fleshy, subglobose to broadly ellipsoid, 6-8 mm long"  (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 588).

Habitat/ecology:  In Hawai‘i, "originally cultivated but now sparingly naturalized and spreading in mesic to wet disturbed areas" in Volcanoes National Park (approximately 5,000 ft. elevation) (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 588).  "Autumn olive grows rapidly into an impenetrable, thorny thicket, usurping space from more valuable species.  The shrub can dominate almost any landscape type, from fencerows to meadows to open woods, even sand dunes and mine spoils"  (Sternberg, 1996; p. 149).

Propagation:  "A single plant can produce 200,000 seeds each year, which are spread widely by birds" (Sternberg, 1996; p. 149).

Native range:  Asia.

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced	Raulerson, L. (2006) (p. 50)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 588) Voucher cited: Fosberg 44457 (BISH)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
China China	China (People's Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Japan Japan	Japan (country)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
North Korea North Korea	North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
South Korea South Korea	South Korea (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Taiwan Taiwan	Taiwan Island	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)

Control:  The Nature Conservancy's Stewardship Abstract contains information on control methods.

Physical: Pull young seedlings. The seed source(s) must be located and destroyed for long-term control.

Chemical: "Larger individuals are cut and the cut stumps treated with glyphosate.  basal applications of triclopyr applied in early spring are also effective"  (Weber, 2003; p. 150).

Additional information:  Autumn olive (Eleagnus umbellata) factsheet (PDF format) from Virginia Department of Conservation & Recreation's invasive plant species list
The Nature Conservancy Stewardship Abstract.
Information from "Invasive plants of Asian origin established in the United States and their natural enemies, volume 1" (PDF format).

Additional online information about Elaeagnus umbellata is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Taxonomic information about Elaeagnus umbellata may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Randall, J. M./Marinelli, J. (eds.). 1996. Invasive plants: weeds of the global garden. Brooklyn Botanic Garden Handbook 149. 111 pp.

Raulerson, L. 2006. Checklist of Plants of the Mariana Islands. University of Guam Herbarium Contribution 40:1-69. .

U. S. Government. 2006. Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) (on-line resource).

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2007. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. 1999. Manual of the flowering plants of Hawaii. Revised edition. Bernice P. Bishop Museum special publication. University of Hawai‘i Press/Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 1919 pp. (two volumes).

Weber, Ewald. 2003. Invasive plants of the World. CABI Publishing, CAB International, Wallingford, UK. 548 pp.

Zheng, Hao/Wu, Yun/Ding, Jianqing/Binion, Denise/Fu, Weidong/Reardon, Richard. 2004. Invasive plants of Asian origin established in the United States and their natural enemies, volume 1. FHTET-2004-05. U.S. Forest Service, Morgantown.