Russian Olive
Elaeagnus angustifolia
Washington State Classification
Class C — Widespread, County-Selected Control
Russian olive spreads along waterways and has naturalized along many of our major rivers in the interior western U.
Quick Reference
Identification
Growth Habit
Russian olive is a deciduous multi-stem shrub or tree, growing up to around 20 feet. It is a nitrogen-fixing plant with spiny stems, silvery foliage, fragrant yellow flowers and forms olive-like fruit.
Leaves
Leaves are alternately arranged, narrowly lanceolate to elliptic in shape and 1.6-3.1 inches (4-8 cm) long . Leaves have smooth edges and the upper leaf surface is gray-green and moderately covered with silvery star-shaped hairs and scales. The petioles and underside of leaf is silvery gray and densely covered with silvery peltate scales.
Flowers
Flowers are in clusters of 1 or more flowers in the leaf axils. Flowers are 0.2-0.4 inches (5-10 mm) long and wide, yellow to yellowish green and highly fragrant. Flowers lack petals and have 4 petal-like sepals and 4 stamens. Bloom May to June.
Fruit & Seeds
Fruits are single-seeded, oval-shaped, drupe-like, 0.4-0.6 inches (1-1.5 cm) long. They are covered with silver scales, gray in color and drying to brown.
Impact
Russian olive spreads along waterways and has naturalized along many of our major rivers in the interior western U.S. It can crowd out important native riparian plant communities that provide valuable wildlife habitat. Listed as a noxious weed in many other states, Russian olive is growing and spreading in eastern Washington.
Ecology & Spread
Habitat
Russian olive is spreading in eastern Washington, notably along lakes, irrigation waterways and right-of-ways. Please click here to see a county level distribution map of Russian olive in Washington.
Spread Mechanisms
Reproduction
Plants primarily reproduce from seed. Seed dispersal occurs during the fall and winter, primarily by birds, other vertebrates and possibly water and ice. Cut trees can readily resprout from the crown and roots.
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Control Methods
Mechanical
- When possible, manually remove seedlings and saplings, including roots, before plants mature. Pulling or digging out larger plants is possible but is both labor intensive and can cause high site disturbance, also roots may be left behind that can respout. Larger plants may be able to be removed with a bulldozer or tractor. Girdling or cutting alone can supress growth but will not kill plants.
Biological Control
- There are currently no biological control agents available for Russian olive.