How to Grow and Care for Russian Olives

Elaeagnus angustifolia

Russian olive trees (Elaeagnus angustifolia) are polarizing. Technically shrubs, they’re large and often pruned into small tree form.

And depending on where you live, they may be beloved for their striking good looks and heavenly scent – or reviled as an ecological threat.

For me, they’ll always hold a place in my heart. We had a Russian olive in my yard growing up and nothing evokes the bright, easy days of early summer childhood than the heady fragrance of the flowers.

That rich perfume on the breeze is unmistakable, and even now, I’ll make a detour to stand under a flowering grove and breathe it in.

We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission.

I also find the fuzzy fruits charming and, though the trees aren’t good for climbing, they’re quite a treat for the eye with their dark wood contrasting against gray foliage.

Alas, they are considered invasive in my region, so I can’t grow one.

If you’re lucky enough to be able to enjoy Russian olives in your area, spare a thought for those poor, deprived souls like me, and then read on.

Here’s what I’ll cover:

Let’s get to know this controversial beauty.

Despite the name, Russian olives aren’t related to true olives (Olea europaea). They belong to the Elaeagnaceae family, alongside sea buckthorn and silverthorns.

And yes, many members of the family have thorns – Russian olive included.

These can grow up to three inches long and are stiff enough to fend off livestock or unwanted visitors, making the plant useful as a defensive planting.

These shrubs can reach 35 feet tall or more, with lanceolate leaves covered in a layer of fine silver or rust-colored scales.

The main aromatic component is ethyl cinnamate, which smells like a blend of honey, wood, jasmine, citrus, and a hint of celery. You may catch it from hundreds of yards away on a warm breeze.

The olive-like fruits are edible in small amounts. They’re sweet, but their dry, mealy texture is quite off-putting.

You can grind them with oil to soften the flesh, but most gardeners leave them for the birds. Waxwings, robins, grosbeaks, quail, and pheasants all happily snack on the drupes.

Russian olive bark is gray, and young twigs have a silvery appearance that turns reddish-brown as they age.

These trees are native to western Asia and eastern Europe and were brought to North America by European settlers. Unfortunately, their toughness and adaptability soon proved to be a double-edged sword.

By the mid-20th century, Russian olive had escaped cultivation and began colonizing riparian corridors, pastures, wetlands, streambanks, and irrigated areas.

It’s tough and adaptable and will outcompete native cottonwoods and willows.

How to Grow

Russian olives are hardy in USDA Zones 2 to 7. This makes them suitable for most northern and temperate climates.

Extremely fast-growing, they can reach their mature size in under ten years, so plant thoughtfully.

Slow-growing plants give us time to move them if we realize that we put them in the wrong place. But these plants might be unwieldy before you even decide whether you like where you put it.

Light

These shrubs grow best in full sun – at least six hours of direct sunlight per day – which helps promote strong flowering and intense fragrance.

But they’re highly adaptable and can tolerate partial shade without missing a beat.

Soil

If there’s one word that describes this plant’s soil preference, it’s flexible. Sandy, silty, or loamy – anything goes, as long as it drains well.

These shrubs are also extremely salt-tolerant, making them a smart choice for coastal gardeners.

The ideal pH is slightly acidic, but anything from 5.5 to 8.5 will do. Russian olives are nitrogen-fixers, so there’s no need to fertilize, even in nutrient-poor conditions.

Water

Container Growing

If you were really intent on growing this plant and your environment isn’t right, you could grow it in a container instead.

Choose a deep pot to accommodate the plant’s extensive root system. Something like a whiskey half-barrel works well.

Look for one with reinforced banding and consider putting it on wheels if you plan to move it around.

Half-Oak Barrel

Tractor Supply carries used whiskey half barrels with reinforced banding and they’ll ship it to your home or nearest store.

Use a fresh, well-draining potting mix rather than garden soil.

Whitney Farms’ organic planting soil, available from Walmart, is a solid and affordable option. It’s well-draining and fortified with kelp and alfalfa meal.

Whitney Farms Organic Potting Soil

Water when the top few inches of soil dry out. Some gardeners let the soil dry completely between watering – the plant can handle that too.

One important note: container-growing doesn’t eliminate the plant’s invasive potential.

Birds will happily eat the fruits and spread the seeds, so to prevent escape, you’ll need to remove every fruit as it forms. Don’t leave even one behind.

Russian olives can even be trained as bonsai. Their fast growth and unique foliage make them an attractive option.

Just remember that bonsai must be grown outdoors and you’ll still need to manage fruiting closely to prevent spread.

Where to Buy

While there have been some attempts at creating unique cultivars, it’s the species that you will find in stores.

Russian Olive

For example, you can find live trees available at Nature Hills Nursery.

Maintenance

Russian olives have deep, aggressive roots, send up suckers, and start easily by fallen seeds.

In other words, you might end up with more than one if you aren’t careful. You absolutely must keep on top of the spread.

If you’re not diligent, one tree can quickly turn into a thicket.

Once established, they’re not easy to remove. Cutting the tree down won’t stop it – stumps can produce dozens of shoots, and even ground-up or partially removed roots may regenerate.

Uprooting a young plant might seem like a solution, but unless every bit of root is removed, it’s likely to come back.

If you want to eliminate a tree, you’ll need to either poison the stump or commit to cutting back all regrowth repeatedly until the root system is exhausted – a process that can take several years.

Always wear thick gloves and long sleeves when handling this plant.

Propagation

Like many plants that have a tendency to become invasive, Russian olives are very easy to propagate.

From Seed

In the fall when the fruits are fully formed, plump, and powdery, pluck a few off the tree. Remove the flesh to expose the seed at the center.

Set them on a paper towel to dry for a few days then store in a cool, dark, dry place until you’re ready to sow.

I will say that fresh seeds germinate more quickly. Older seeds can take up to 18 months just to germinate.

It’s best to start the process in the fall, but it’s possible to sow in spring. If you have the time to start in the fall, cold-stratify the seeds for 12 weeks by placing them in a zip-top bag in moist moss in the fridge.

When the ground is workable in early spring, loosen the soil and amend it with well-rotted compost.

From Stem Cuttings

Russian olive is an excellent candidate for propagation via stem cuttings. Here’s how:

1. In spring, take six-inch cuttings of young, flexible stems.
2. Prepare the planting area site by loosening the soil and mixing in well-rotted compost. Dip the ends of the cuttings in rooting hormone if you have some to hand.
3. Make a hole in the soil and insert each cutting one to two inches deep and firm up the soil around them.

Keep the soil moist and within a few weeks or months, you should see new growth developing.

Transplanting

To transplant Russian olive, begin by digging a hole twice as wide and just as deep as the plant’s container. Remove the shrub from the container and gently loosen the roots.

Place the plant in the hole, ensuring it sits at the same depth it was previously growing.

Backfill with soil, firm it gently around the base, and water thoroughly. If the soil settles, add a bit more to keep the plant stable.

Pests and Disease

While birds love the shrubs, few other herbivores do. Deer dodge them, probably thanks to their vicious thorns. Rats and mice will eat the fallen fruit, but they don’t bother the plant.

Let’s look at the pests that do cause issues:

Insects

When the conditions are right, scale insects and aphids will feed on the tree, but they rarely cause extensive symptoms in a healthy specimen.

You might notice yellowing leaves, feel a sticky residue on the stems and foliage, or see black coating on the leaves. This black coating is sooty mold, and it’s attracted to the sticky honeydew that both of these sapsucking insects secrete.

You probably won’t need to treat an infestation in a mature specimen, though young trees with heavy infestations should be addressed.

Treatment with horticultural oil once every two weeks until the pests are gone should be enough.

Disease

Russian olives are generally resilient, but they can fall victim to phomopsis canker, a serious disease caused by the fungi Phomopsis arnoldiae and P. elaeagni.

In some regions, it devastates trees in large swaths of the midwest and east. In other areas, it’s no big deal – yet.

Unlike many pathogens that target weakened plants, phomopsis can strike healthy trees and kill them within a single season.

Symptoms include reddish-brown to black sunken lesions, oozing cankers, and black fungal growth. Infected branches begin to die back, often starting from the bottom of the tree and progressing upward as the cankers girdle branches and cut off moisture flow.

A Feast for the Senses

Few trees engage all the senses. The fruits offer a sweet flavor, the fuzzy leaves and drupes feel soft and velvety, and the rustling foliage in a breeze is pure calm.

The shimmering silver foliage adds visual drama to any landscape.

And then there’s the fragrance – rich, heady, and completely unique. It’s hands down my favorite scent in the world. I’m not even sure I’d bottle it if I could.

Are you growing Russian olive? Let us know in the comments section below!

And for more information about growing shrubs in your landscape, add these guides to your reading list next:

• How to Grow and Care for Japanese Skimmia
• How to Grow and Care for Sweet Almond Bush
• How to Plant and Grow Sweet Myrtle