Russian olive is a deciduous shrub in the oleander family that is native to Asia, Russia and India. It is a large thorny shrub or small tree, that has a rounded form but can get leggy with a loose and irregular form. It can grow up to 30 feet tall. The species was introduced into North America in the late 19th century as an ornamental but quickly spread over a large area due to an aggressive root system, fast growth rate and spread of the seeds by birds. The plant grows in full sun and prefers a light sandy or loamy soil but it will tolerate a range of soil types as it is able to fix nitrogen. It is drought and salt-spray tolerant but dislikes the summer heat. The leaves and stems are covered in silvery or rusty scales and the summer flowers are aromatic and cream-colored. They are followed by silvery fruits. The plant does tolerate pruning, but keep in mind that next year's blossoms will appear on old growth. Russian olive out-competes native plants and has dominated riparian areas primarily in central and western USA but is also found on the east coast from Maine to SC and east to PA and TN. See native alternatives listed to the left. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Canker disease is occasionally a problem. It is listed as invasive by the NC Invasive Plant Council. See native alternatives to the left.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasional Flooding
Available space
12-24 feet
NC region
Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 12 ft. 0 in. - 30 ft. 0 in. | Width: 12 ft. 0 in. - 20 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
High
Canopy layer
2 - Understory (15-40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Texture
Fine
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Gray/Silver; Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Lanceolate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf value
Showy
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Silver-gray to gray-green leaves that hold late into fall. Lanceolate in shape with entire margins and silvery scales on both sides. They are 1.5- 4 inches long and 2/3 to 1 inch wide.
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; Gray/Silver; White
Flower value
Fragrant
Flower shape
Tubular
Flower detail
Small, fragrant, silvery-white to yellow tubular flowers in late spring to early summer April-June.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit color
Gray/Silver; Red/Burgundy
Fruit type
Achene
Fruit size
< 1 inch long
Fruit detail
Achene but appears drupe-like because of a fleshy outer hypanthium. They resemble olives are 1/2" silver in late summer turning red in the fall from August-October.
Bark color
Dark Brown
Stem color
Red/Burgundy
Stem detail
The young branches are silvery while the older branches are brown. They are occasionally thorny and covered with scales.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Asia, Russia, India
Wildlife value
Fruits attract birds.
Attracts
Songbirds
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall; Summer
Fruit type
Achene
Uses (ethnobotany)
An essential oil obtained from the flowers of this plant is often used in perfumes. A gum comes from this plant that is used in the textile industry.
Landscape Use
Garden tags
#silvery #salt tolerant #drought tolerant #yellow flowers #star shaped flowers #silver leaves #small tree #salt spray tolerant #bird friendly #non-toxic for cats #non-toxic for horses #non-toxic for dogs #high maintenance #aggressive #red fruits #deciduous tree #food source summer #fragrant flowers #invasive #food source fall #fast growing #thorns #wildlife friendly
Problems & Resistance
Other problems
Invasive Plants and Your Forests
Problems
Invasive Species; Spines/Thorns; Weedy
Resistant to
Deer; Drought; Salt
Particularly resistant to
This plant is particularly resistant to damage by deer.