Elaeagnus umbellata 'Brilliant Rose'

Elaeagnus umbellata 'Brilliant Rose' (Autumn Olive Tree) is a deciduous shrub producing high yields of pinkish-red edible fruits. This nutritious fruit is a great source of vitamins A, C, E, flavonoids; and is extremely high in lycopene, a heart healthful antioxidant. The showy, pinkish-red fruits look as beautiful drooping en masse on the vine, as they do in fall fruit salads. The fruit can be enjoyed raw, dried, in juices, or cooked in pies and preserves.

From Tennessee, USA, Elaeagnus umbellata 'Brilliant Rose' was developed by Hector Black of Hidden Springs nursery. It is the “best variety of all”, selected over Hector's 20 year autumn olive breeding program. It offers one of the largest berries (comparable to Hidden Springs berry in size) - a bright pinkish-red fruit with an excellent flavour, and high amount of lycopene. Considered one of the best cultivars for flavour, Brillant Rose berries could be described as similar to a sweet red currant - sweet, juicy, and slightly tart.

Brilliant Rose Autumn Olive Tree is self-fertile. Planting other varieties nearby for cross-pollination (such as 'Amber', 'Hidden Springs' or 'Ruby') could increase fruit yield. Brilliant Rose Japanese Silverberry is a highly ornamental shrub with attractive, narrowly oval-shaped leaves that have distinctive silvery scaled undersides and silvery gold, thorny branches. A stunning display of fragrant, creamy white, funnel-shaped flowers appear between May and June. The abundant, early blooms are beneficial for pollinator species searching for an early food source. Birds relish the fruit and bees love the profuse, fragrant white flowers.

While the berries may appear ready to consume earlier, it is recommended to wait until they are very soft, and almost over-ripe for the sweetest possible flavour. Berries can usually be consumed in late September but they will get the sweetest by the end of October. This large fruiting Autumn Olive plant will start bearing fruits within 2 to 3 years after planting. Autumn Olive bushes are unchallenged in their fruit production with one plant capable of providing 80 pounds of edible fruit a year.

A rather robust plant, Brilliant Rose Autumn Olive plant is disease and pest resistant and can be grown in hardiness zone 4a (-34 °C). It has been used for erosion control, soil remediation, windbreaks, and wildlife food/habitat. This nitrogen fixing shrub is very adaptable, tolerating poor rocky or sandy soil, salt, drought, and air pollution. The root system can form a symbiotic relationship with bacteria actinobacterium Frankia, which can catch atmospheric nitrogen, and stock it in the ground to feed it to surrounding plants.

Due to its enormous fruit yield, ability to self-seed, and spreading by root suckers, Brilliant Rose Japanese Silverberry can out-compete and displace other nearby plant species. Use caution when choosing plant location, and when discarding seeds. Remove suckers at the base to control spread as desired.