Native Range

Asia and Eastern Europe

Appearance

Russian olive is a fast-growing deciduous tree or large shrub growing up to 25 ft tall (7½ m) from a taproot with wide lateral roots. Young stems are silver-colored, turning reddish-brown with age and developing thorns. Mature stems have brown bark with rough fissures. Leaves are alternate, elliptic, and silver-green. The small flowers have four yellow sepals fused at the base. Fruits are oval, ≤1 in (2½ cm) long, and olive-like with a fleshy outer layer covering one seed.

Impact

Russian olive can have profound impacts on riparian areas. It alters nutrient cycling in streams and riparian soils and increases stream turbidity, which reduces the diversity and growth of native fish. In riparian areas and shelterbelts, Russian olive provides perches and enclosed areas that increase predation on waterfowl, gamebirds, and other wildlife species. Heavy infestations prevent the germination of native riparian plant species, and it alters hydrological processes and climax plant communities.

Reference

Weyl, P., L. Humair, R.A. De Clerck-Floate, T. Collier, S.E. Sing, and D.K. Weaver. 2024. Russian Olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia): History and Ecology in North America. In: R.L. Winston, Ed. Biological Control of Weeds in North America. North American Invasive Species Management Association, Milwaukee, WI. NAISMA-BCW-2024-42- RUSSIAN OLIVE-P. https://bugwoodcloud.org/resource/files/33583.pdf

Resources

• A Field Guide for the Identification of Invasive Plants in Southern Forests - USDA Forest Service
• Weeds Gone Wild: Alien Plant Invaders of Natural Areas - Plant Conservation Alliance
• Element Stewardship Abstract - The Nature Conservancy
• Fire Effects Information System - USDA Forest Service
• Weed of the Week - USDA Forest Service
• Weed Field Guide - USDA Forest Service

Selected Images

Maps

Invasive Listing Sources

• Arizona Noxious Weeds
• California Invasive Plant Council
• City of Ann Arbor Michigan Parks and Recreation
• Colorado Noxious Weeds
• Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, 1994.
• Connecticut Invasive Plant List
• Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group
• Connecticut Noxious Weeds
• Hoffman, R. & K. Kearns, Eds. 1997. Wisconsin manual of control recommendations for ecologically invasive plants. Wisconsin Dept. Natural Resources, Bureau of Endangered Resources. Madison, Wisconsin. 102pp.
• Illinois Exotic Weed Act
• Indiana Invasive Species Council - Invasive Plant List
• Invasive Plant Association of Wisconsin
• Invasive Plant Species of West Virginia
• Iowa Forest Invasive Plants
• Jil M. Swearingen, Survey of invasive plants occurring on National Park Service lands, 2000-2007
• John Randall, The Nature Conservancy, Survey of TNC Preserves, 1995.
• Kentucky Exotic Pest Plant Council - Moderate Threat
• Maine Invasive Plants
• Maryland Cooperative Extension Service.  2003. Invasive Plant Control in Maryland. Home and Garden Information Center, Home and Garden Mimeo HG88. 4 pp.
• Maryland Department of Natural Resources Policy: Restriction on Planting Exotic Invasive Plants
• Montana Noxious Weeds
• National Park Service, Mid-Atlantic Exotic Plant Management Team Invasive Plant List
• New Hampshire Invasive Species Committee. 2005. Guide to Invasive Upland Plant Species in New Hampshire. New Hampshire Department of Agriculture,  Markets and Food Plant Industry Division and New Hampshire Invasive Species Committee.
• New Jersey Invasive Species Strike Team 2017 Invasive Species List
• New Mexico Noxious Weeds
• Non-Native Invasive Plants of Arlington County, Virginia
• Nonnative Invasive Species in Southern Forest and Grassland Ecosystems
• Ohio Invasive Species Council
• Ontario’s Invading Species Awareness Program Tracked Species List
• Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Invasive Plants
• Reichard, Sarah. 1994.  Assessing the potential of invasiveness in woody plants introduced in North America. University of Washington Ph.D. dissertation.
• Rhode Island Natural History Survey
• South Carolina Plant Pest List
• Utah Noxious Weeds - Prohibited
• Washington Noxious Weeds
• WeedUS - Database of Plants Invading Natural Areas in the United States
• West Virginia Invasive Species Strategic Plan and Volunteer Guidelines 2014
• West Virginia Native Plant Society, Flora West Virginia Project, and West Virginia Curatorial Database System, September 3, 1999
• Wisconsin Noxious Weeds
• Wisconsin's Invasive species rule – NR 40
• Wyoming Noxious Weeds

References