Autumn Olive Plant Care

Autumn Olive (Elaeagnus umbellata) belongs to the Elaeagnaceae family within the Elaeagnus genus. Autumn Olive is native to eastern Asia and ranges from the Himalayas eastwards to Japan. Autumn Olive is also known as Autumnberry, Japanese Silverberry, Chinese Silverberry.

Autumn Olive displays an upright, spreading shrub growth habit, reaching up to 10 ft tall with a spread of approximately 8 ft. Autumn Olive produces small, fragrant silver or yellow flowers.

Leaf size: approximately 3 inches.

Water a young or newly planted Autumn Olive every 7–14 days, soaking the whole root zone, until it is established — usually one to two growing seasons. Established trees mainly need water during long dry spells. In a container, water whenever the top few centimetres of soil are dry.

Autumn Olive thrives in full sun to partial shade.

Elaeagnus umbellata tolerates temperatures of 50–85°F. Autumn Olive prefers humidity levels of 40–70%.

Well-draining sandy loam with added organic matter. Good drainage is essential for Autumn Olive to prevent waterlogging, which leads to root rot and fungal issues.

Feed Autumn Olive every 6 months during the growing season with a balanced, slow-release fertilizer at the rate on the label. Established trees in good soil often need little extra feeding, so let weak growth or pale foliage guide you.

Stop feeding by late summer so new growth can harden before winter.

The PlantoScan app can remind you when to water and when to fertilize each plant.

Choose a spot with full sun to partial shade and well-draining sandy loam with added organic matter. Avoid low spots where water collects after rain.

Autumn Olive is suited to USDA Zone 4a – 8b.

Plant container-grown or balled-and-burlapped trees in spring or early autumn, setting the root flare at soil level, and water well after planting.

Autumn Olive can spread to about 8 ft (2.4 m) and reach about 10 ft (3 m) tall. Space plants about 8 ft (2.4 m) apart so mature crowns don't crowd each other, and plant at least half that distance from buildings, fences and paths.

Planning a row or hedge? Try the tree spacing calculator.

Prune Autumn Olive while it is dormant in late winter: first remove dead, damaged and crossing branches, then thin lightly for shape.

If it flowers in spring, prune right after flowering instead so you don't remove next year's buds. Never take off more than about a quarter of the tree in one year.

Autumn Olive is hardy down to USDA zone 4a, so once established it can stay outdoors through winter in that zone and warmer ones.

Water deeply in late autumn before the ground freezes, and spread a 5–8 cm (2–3 in) layer of mulch over the root zone, keeping it away from the trunk.

Young and container-grown trees need extra protection: roots in a pot freeze much more easily than roots in the ground.

Autumn Olive can be propagated through softwood cuttings, hardwood cuttings, seeds. Similar propagation techniques also apply to russian olive plant care, which shares the same genus.

See all plants toxic to cats and plants toxic to dogs.

Autumn Olive is susceptible to aphids, scale insects, spider mites. Inspect the foliage regularly, especially along leaf undersides and stems. Treat infestations promptly with insecticidal soap or neem oil to prevent spread.

Yellow leaves, brown tips or drooping? See common plant problems and how to fix them.

Autumn Olive grows outdoors in USDA Zone 4a – 8b. It survives winters down to planting zone 4a. Autumn Olive is native to eastern Asia and ranges from the Himalayas eastwards to Japan.