Goumi

Sun

Full sun for the best crop; tolerates partial shade but fruits less heavily.

Water

Water regularly while establishing and during dry spells as fruit develops. Established plants tolerate some drought.

Soil

Well-drained soil, from sandy to clay loam; tolerates low fertility and a fairly wide pH range. Avoid waterlogged ground.

Height

6-10 ft (1.8-3 m)

Spread

6-10 ft (1.8-3 m)

Flowers

Small, fragrant, creamy-white to pale yellow flowers in mid- to late spring.

Foliage

Oval green leaves with silvery undersides; young shoots are dotted with silvery or brown scales.

Growth

Moderate to fast

Care needed

Low

• Pollinators
• Drought tolerant
• Cold hardy
• Heat tolerant
• Wildlife
• Low allergen
• Fragrant
• Edible

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Easy

Toughness

Very tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1.6 ft (0.5 m)

2. After 1 year

   3 ft (0.98 m)

3. After 2 years

   5 ft (1.5 m)

4. After 3 years

   6 ft (1.9 m)

5. After 5 years

   8 ft (2.4 m)

   full size

About 4 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Invasive in

the US

Growth rate

Fast

• Water deeply during dry weather for the first two growing seasons.
• Keep a 2-3 in (5-8 cm) mulch layer over the root area, clear of the stems.
• Avoid routine nitrogen fertiliser; feed only if a soil test shows a deficiency.
• Plant two genetically different plants for more reliable pollination and heavier crops; self-fertility varies.
• If birds take the crop, use taut, wildlife-safe netting supported on a frame.

Pruning. Prune lightly just after harvest, removing dead, damaged and crossing branches. On crowded mature bushes, remove a few of the oldest stems at ground level; hard annual clipping reduces flowering and fruiting.

Pick the red berries in early to midsummer when they are fully coloured, slightly soft and release easily; underripe fruit is strongly astringent. Harvest in several passes for fresh eating, sauces or preserves. A first worthwhile crop usually comes 2-4 years after planting, depending on plant size and growing conditions.

Autumn

Plant container-grown bushes while the soil is workable; in cold climates, wait until spring.

Late winter

Check for damaged branches and plan space for a second, genetically different plant if crops have been poor.

Spring

Renew mulch and water new plants during dry spells.

Late spring

Keep flowering plants free from insecticide sprays to protect visiting pollinators.

Early summer

Protect ripening berries from birds if needed and keep the root area evenly moist.

Summer

Harvest ripe berries in several passes, then thin crowded branches.

• Use as an informal fruiting hedge, allowing room for its broad, arching growth.
• Place at the sunny edge of an edible woodland garden, clear of taller trees' shade.
• Mix with currants and gooseberries in a loose fruit-shrub border.
• Pair its silver-backed foliage with lavender and catmint in a sunny, well-drained edible border.

Garden styles it suits: Edible landscape, Food forest, Homestead, Native hedgerow, Cottage garden and Potager (kitchen garden).

Plant it with: Redcurrant, Gooseberry, Chives, Catmint, Lavender and Yarrow.

Wildlife: Fragrant flowers attract bees and other pollinating insects. Birds eat the berries and can carry seed beyond the garden; dense branches also provide shelter.

• Birds remove ripe berries: harvest promptly or protect the bush with properly fitted wildlife-safe netting.
• Poor fruit set: provide full sun and add a genetically different goumi for cross-pollination.
• Root decline in wet soil: improve drainage or replant on raised ground; do not keep the root area saturated.
• Aphids on young shoots: wash them off with water and encourage natural predators rather than spraying routinely.

Not known to be toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses, although species-specific veterinary information is limited. Ripe fruit is edible; the seed is also eaten, but is hard. Some bushes have thorny shoots that can scratch skin.

Where it spreads. Has escaped cultivation in parts of the eastern United States through bird-dispersed seed, though its invasive status is less consistent than that of autumn olive. Check local invasive-plant guidance before planting, particularly near natural areas, and remove unwanted seedlings.

• Autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata)

  Usually has smaller, rounder berries on shorter stalks that ripen in autumn; goumi has larger, often elongated berries on conspicuous slender stalks in early summer.

• Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia)

  Usually grows into a small tree with narrow, silvery leaves and yellowish, mealy fruits rather than juicy red berries.

• Thorny olive (Elaeagnus pungens)

  Has evergreen, leathery leaves, often with wavy margins, and flowers in autumn rather than spring.

Goumi comes from the Japanese name gumi, while multiflora means many-flowered.

Propagation. Sow fresh, cleaned seed outdoors in a protected pot; germination can be slow and may take more than one seasonal cycle. Semi-ripe cuttings in summer can preserve a selected plant's characteristics, but rooting is variable.

Accepted botanical name

Elaeagnus multiflora

In the US and Canada

Introduced in the lower 48 states.

Native range

China North-Central, China South-Central, China Southeast, Japan, Korea and Kuril Is..

Measured

Average height 300 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.