Russian Olive

What: Russian Olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia) is a tough, drought-tolerant small tree valued for its stunning silver foliage that provides color contrast all season long. It features intensely fragrant yellow flowers in late spring followed by small silver berries.

Best use: Russian Olive works excellently as an accent tree for color contrast in the landscape, as a shade tree, or in hedges and screening. It’s particularly well-suited for dry, windy prairie sites, alkaline soils, and challenging urban conditions where few other ornamental trees thrive.

Plant Details