Eleagnus

Other plants we have or landscape elements like ponds.

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johnw
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Eleagnus

Post by johnw »

Neat to see this in flower in the Annapolis Valley today, even better was the fragrance which was very pleasant wafting for metters. I've never seen the flowers before; usually flowers in late winter but the drought has thrown its clock off.

johnw
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johnw coastal Nova Scotia
GrowingHabit
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Re: Eleagnus

Post by GrowingHabit »

Those leaves are so beautiful, I'm headed out this weekend to see if my favorite nursery has any elaeagnus. Must have!
Alan_L
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Re: Eleagnus

Post by Alan_L »

What species is that? Cultivar?
canadianplant
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Re: Eleagnus

Post by canadianplant »

Eleagnus flowers are inconspicuous, but man you can smell them a good 100 feet away. Id also like to know what cult/var it is, I dont think ive ever seen the double variegation like that one :shock: Also weird to hear its flowering again :s Ive had people tell me some random reports from all over the US about plants reflowering (ie: A paulownia in NC).

Im assuming its a type of "russian olive" (eleagnus angustifolia)? There seem to me quite a number of types comming out now. Spring 2011, I found this guy, labeled (correctly for once) Eleagnus "quicksilver". The 140mm of rain in May stressed it a bit, and it didnt grow as much as it should have. It was barely 4 feet last year, with a forked trunk. I cut that off this spring, as well as the top of the remaining tree. It was getting too top heavy:

http://s16.postimage.org/pjga6imlw/DSCF1275.jpg
johnw
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Re: Eleagnus

Post by johnw »

The Eleagnus is E. pungens 'Maculata'. It's probably a good Z7 plant and very thorny - long nasty stout thorns. You have to be on the lookout for plain green-leafed shoots that appear and will overtake the plant, pruning is a nasty job that leads to much cursing. Once this plant seemed to be in every front garden in the southern UK.

There are some new thornless varieties that might be better where they're hardy - E. x ebbingei; a Japanese named one and a 'Clemson ...." that may be better.

There's an Eleagnus that grows on Martha's Vineyard that is either in gardens or naturalized, you can smell it over the entire island in May. Any ideas which one it is?

johnw - +4c at 10:35, temp rising to 20c by Monday and heavy rain again on the way.
johnw coastal Nova Scotia
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needmore
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Re: Eleagnus

Post by needmore »

I think there is a native form here - quite invasive and was used to 'reclaim' coal mining stripped/exhausted lands as they colonize so quickly, the state once sold them in their nurseries but now I think they may be banned? In spring during morel season they flower and it is extremely pungently almost sickeningly sweet and can be smelled from a great distance but then again they cover great distances. Suspect these in the photos are distant relatives and the ones here are not very ornamental - the plant I'm thinking of is called both Russian olive & Autumn? olive?

Maybe not related?
Brad Salmon, zone 12B Kea'au, HI
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canadianplant
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Re: Eleagnus

Post by canadianplant »

russian olive
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elaeagnus_angustifolia

Autumn olive
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elaeagnus_umbellata

They were introduced into the states to stabilize soil and create shelterbelts for farms. Since a good portion of the US has distrubed soil, it escaped cultivation and naturalized. Its a pioneer species, which fixes nitrogen. It basically conditions bad soil for other plants. It needs a lot of sun, other wise it will eventually die out in the shade of other trees. They dont live very long either, 30 years if I remember correctly.

There are a bunch of Elagnus species around which are generally unknown. I do think there is a species that was bred for cultivation as well. Most are tolerant of juglone, the chemical secreted by walnuts, which makes it difficult to grow anything near or under. They can apparently buffer the effects on trees planted on the opposite side of the elagnus, then the walnut is.

The one problem is that most are super invasive, more so then bamboo in some cases. Birds eat the seeds and spread them around, as well as putting up suckers (cant remember if thats for some, most or all elagnus).
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