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Fruitland Elaeagnus

Elaeagnus pungens (el-ee-AG-nus PUN-gens)

Family: Elaeagnaceae Non-native Understory (15-40 ft)

Fruitland Elaeagnus is a large, dense, irregular mounded shrub that prefers full sun to partial shade. The shrub will grow 8-15 feet tall and wide. Its parent is a NC invasive plant as is this one. It tolerates a range of soil types, salt spray, wind, poor soil, heat tolerant and will survive under most conditions. For the best performance, locate in an area with clay and alkaline soil. The foliage can become denser when planted in a location that receives more sun and the plant will grow more rapidly. Its showy foliage is used in floral arrangements. New growth is a silvery color that will mature to an olive green dotted with silver scales. The underside is a solid silver that is dotted with brown scales. It prefers full sun to partial shade and will grow up to 15 feet tall and wide. It is adaptable to most moist, well-drained soils. Young plants can benefit from the application of fertilizer in late winter or early spring using a slow-release fertilizer or organic plant food. Regular maintenance can include the pruning of a broken branch or one that is somewhat out of place. When pruning, keep in mind that next year's blossoms will appear on old growth. The plant is known to spread aggressively, out-compete native species, and can be dispersed by birds through its seeds. Pleas consider planting native plants. See suggestions to the left. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Its parent plant is considered invasive in NC and many other states and it has the potential to be weedy and invasive. See native alternatives to the left. More information on Elaeagnus pungens .

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 55 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 2 - Understory (15-40 ft) Optimal soil pH Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

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.

Fills a similar niche Elaeagnus pungens Elaeagnus umbellata Elaeagnus x submacrophylla

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Shrub
Life cycle
Woody
USDA zones
7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasional Flooding | Occasionally Wet
Available space
6-feet-12 feet
Mature size
Height: 8 ft. 0 in. - 15 ft. 0 in. | Width: 6 ft. 0 in. - 15 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
High
Canopy layer
2 - Understory (15-40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Dense; Irregular; Mounding; Rounded
Texture
Fine
Foliage
Broadleaf Evergreen
Leaf color
Blue; Brown/Copper; Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Linear; Ovate
Leaf value
Showy
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Large bluish-green leaves with silver undersides have wavy margins.
Flower color
Gray/Silver; White
Flower value
Fragrant
Flower shape
Bell
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
A cluster of silvery-white, fragrant, bell-shaped flowers appear in the fall.
Bloom time
Fall
Fruit color
Brown/Copper; Red/Burgundy
Fruit type
Achene
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
Brown-red fruits that look like drupes but are actually achenes with a fleshy outter coating.
Bark color
Light Brown
Stem color
Brown/Copper
Stem detail
Slightly spiny angular branches have a brownish hue. Multibranched.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Japan and China
Attracts
Bees; Songbirds
Play value
Buffer; Screening; Textural
Food & Medicine
Fruit type
Achene
Landscape Use
Garden tags
#evergreen #deer resistant #fragrant flowers #delicate #salt spray tolerant #red fruits #fall flowers #delicate fragrance #non-toxic for cats #non-toxic for horses #non-toxic for dogs #bee friendly #multistemmed #drought tolerant #heat tolerant #wind tolerant #shrub #buffer #long lived #woodland #high maintenance #weedy #aggressive
Problems & Resistance
Problems
Weedy
Resistant to
Deer; Diseases; Drought; Dry Soil; Heat; Insect Pests; Poor Soil; Salt; Storm damage; Wind
Propagation
Seed; Stem Cutting

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.