BOTANICAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
SPECIES: Elaeagnus umbellata | Autumn-Olive 



GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS : 
Autumn-olive is an exotic, deciduous tree or shrub.  It attains a height
of 3 to 12 feet (0.9-2.7 m), but may grow as tall as 20 feet (6 m).  It
produces berries averaging 0.16 inch (4 mm) in diameter [14,24,28].
 


RAUNKIAER LIFE FORM : 
   Phanerophyte
   Chamaephyte


REGENERATION PROCESSES : 
Sexual reproduction:  Autumn-olive generally flowers at 2 to 3 years of
age.  Abundant seed production begins at age 3 to 4 years.  Seeds
require cold stratification for germination.  Optimum germination is
achieved with a minimum stratification period of 16 weeks at 50 to 68
degrees Fahrenheit (10-20 deg C) [28].  Seeds are ingested with fruit
and dispersed by birds and mammals [14,24].

Vegetative reproduction:  Vegetative reproduction has not been
documented in the literature for this species.  Russian-olive (Elaeagnus
angustifolia), a closely related species, sprouts from the root crown
[29,30].  It is possible that autumn olive does this as well.


SITE CHARACTERISTICS : 
Autumn-olive is found on a variety of soil types.  It grows well on
sand, glacial till, and disturbed soils.  It tolerates adverse site
conditions.  It is more common on well-drained, upland sites than on
marshy or bottomland sites.  In the mid-Atlantic states, it withstands
soil pH as low as 4.0 [9,10,24].


SUCCESSIONAL STATUS : 
Autumn-olive aggressively colonizes soils of poor or marginal quality.
It is relatively shade tolerant [9].


SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT : 
Autumn-olive generally flowers from May through June.  The fruits begin
to ripen in August and continue through October.  Seed dispersal occurs
from September to November [4,6,14].

Related categories for Species: Elaeagnus umbellata | Autumn-Olive