Katrin Schneider / korina.info · CC BY-SA 4.0
Russian olive
Tree·Elaeagnus angustifolia
Full sun
Sun
Low
Water
Moist soil
Drainage
Zones 2–8
Hardiness
Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia) is a tree. It grows best in full sun and has low water needs.
Through the year
DormantLeafing outFloweringFruitingDying back
Works well with
from wiki dataNo companions recorded.
WHAT IT NEEDS
Wants full sun
Needs little water
Tolerates moist soil, as long as it drains well
Prefers soil pH 6.5–7.5
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Prefers sandy, loamy, clay soil
Tolerates compacted soil well
Fixes nitrogen in the soil
Draws up nitrogen from deep in the soil
Adds a moderate amount of organic matter to the soil
Partners with mycorrhizal fungi to boost nutrient uptake
WHAT IT GIVES
Gives mulch biomass (medium)
Gives shade (medium)
Provides nitrogen
Attracts pollinators
Attracts birds
HOW IT GROWS
SIZE & SPACING
Sub-canopy tree
Height300–900 cm
Spacing450 cm (min 300 cm)
Root depthDeep
Width300–900 cm
Width figures are rough estimates, the most variable measurement in our data.
AI estimate · accuracy improves as growers contribute corrections.
HOW TO PROPAGATE
Propagate by seeds, cuttings, suckers
Difficulty
Establishes in about 2 yr
Self-seeds freely and can spread on its own
Where this comes from
Parsed11 Sept 2026
ConfidenceNot recorded
Photograph Katrin Schneider / korina.info · CC BY-SA 4.0