Elaeagnus umbellata 'Ruby'

Elaeagnus umbellata 'Ruby' (Japanese Silverberry plant) is a deciduous shrub producing high yields of edible fruits. The nutritious fruit is a great source of vitamins A, C, E, flavonoids, and extremely high in lycopene, a heart healthful antioxidant.

Ruby is prized for its profuse blooms, and heavy crops of medium-large sized, brilliant, deep red berries. These autumn olives are sweet and juicy with low astringency. They can be enjoyed raw, dried, in juices or cooked in pies and preserves. They also make a colourful addition to fall fruit salads. Ruby Autumn Olive Bush is self-fertile. Planting other varieties nearby for cross-pollination (such as 'Amber', 'Brilliant Rose' or 'Hidden Springs') could increase fruit yield.

Ruby Autumn Olive plant 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. The showy, red coloured fruits look beautiful when drooping in mass.

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 be sweetest by the end of October. Ruby Japanese Silverberry 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, Ruby Autumn Olive Bush 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 the bacteria actinobacterium Frankia that 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, Ruby Japanese Silverberry tree 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.