Russian olive
Elaeagnus angustifolia L.
Silver-leaved, thorny tree once used for windbreaks. It spreads along western rivers and ditches, crowding out native cottonwoods and willows.
Listed as noxious in NM. The planner flags it (OL-INVASIVE) for sites in those jurisdictions. Details and sources.
Size over time
Typical landscape size 6–9 m (20–30 ft) tall and 6–9 m (20–30 ft) wide; fast growth, about 15 years to maturity. Intermediate sizes use the planner’s growth curve (k = 0.45) from the #15 install size.
Bloom
Pale yellow flowers, May–Jun (northern-hemisphere months; timing shifts with region and season).
| Plant | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Russian olive : May–Jun |
Design notes
- Do not plant near streams, ditches or wetlands.
- In New Mexico consider New Mexico olive (Forestiera pubescens) or desert willow instead.
Regions
Native range: Southern Europe and western to central Asia.
Not recorded as native to any of the three pilot regions.
Native status describes where the species occurs naturally. It is not a promise that it suits a particular garden; site conditions decide that.
Related plants
Plan with Russian olive
Place it in a design, check it against your zone, light and moisture, and see it at year three and year ten.