Elaeagnus thunbergii

Scru.

Elaeagnaceae Edible: Fruit, Seeds 753 iNaturalist observations

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no rights reserved, uploaded by 葉子

iNaturalist· cc0

no rights reserved, uploaded by 葉子

iNaturalist· cc0

no rights reserved, uploaded by 葉子

Summary

Evergreen shrub reaching 3m tall. Not frost tender. Remains in leaf year-round; flowers September to December with seeds ripening April to June. Hermaphroditic and insect-pollinated. Nitrogen-fixing. Grows in light sandy, medium loamy, and heavy clay soils; prefers well-drained conditions and tolerates poor fertility. Adapts to mildly acidic, neutral, and basic soils. Tolerates semi-shade (light woodland) or full sun. Handles both dry and moist conditions with drought tolerance.

Description

An evergreen shrub. It can be climbing. The leaves are narrowly oval and 5-10 cm long by 2-5 cm wide. There are silver scales underneath. The flowers occur singly in the axils of leaves and are white. The fruit is red and oval. It is 1.4 cm across. The seed has 8 ribs.

Edible Uses

The fruit can be eaten raw or cooked but must be fully ripe before eating raw — even slightly underripe fruit is quite astringent. The fruit is up to 14mm long and contains a single large seed. The seed can also be eaten raw or cooked alongside the fruit, though the seed casing is rather fibrous.

Medicinal Uses

Like many in its genus, the fruit is a very rich source of vitamins and minerals — particularly vitamins A, C and E — along with flavonoids and other bio-active compounds. It is also a fairly good source of essential fatty acids, which is unusual for a fruit. It is being investigated for its potential to reduce the incidence of cancer and to halt or reverse cancer growth.

Distribution

It is a subtropical plant. It grows in Taiwan below 3,000 m above sea level.

Where It Grows

Asia, Taiwan,

Cultivation

We have very little information on this species and do not know how hardy it will be in Britain. There are some young plants at Kew (September 2000) that have survived four winters outdoors including one very cold winter, these plants were looking healthy and vigorous and were 1.3 metres tall after 4 years growth. The following notes are based on the general information for this genus. Succeeds in most soils that are well-drained. Prefers a soil that is only moderately fertile, succeeding in poor soils and dry soils. Requires a sunny position. Tolerates maritime exposure. This species is notably resistant to honey fungus. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby. An excellent companion plant, when grown in orchards it can increase yields from the fruit trees by up to 10%.

Propagation

Seed is best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame, where it should germinate in late winter or early spring, though it may take 18 months. Stored seed can be very slow to germinate, often taking more than 18 months. A warm stratification of 4 weeks followed by 12 weeks of cold stratification can help. Prick out seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle and plant out when at least 15cm tall. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 7–10cm with a heel, taken in July/August in a frame. Cuttings of mature wood from the current year's growth, 10–12cm with a heel, taken in October/November in a frame — these are rather slow and difficult to root, so leave for 12 months. Layering in September/October takes 12 months.