Elaeagnus umbellata, Autumn Olive

I concur. I VERY aggressive colonizer. Expect to hear more from forum members lol.

Daniel, Elaeagnus umbellata is very aggressively invasive in your state. I strongly urge you to do a little research about this plant and think about the environmental burden of encouraging a known problem plant. A much more appropriate response to finding this shrub on your property would be to remove and dispose of it.

Click HERE for further information about Elaeagnus.

And HERE'S more information.

Discussions about invasive plant species can be difficult, as some people will stand by their right to plant whatever they want to on their own property, that it can't hurt anyone else. Some are even proud of themselves for ignoring the facts.

In fact, the removal of invasive plants costs your state many millions of dollars that could be spent in better ways.

Yeah, that was the conclusion I was beginning to reach after a couple minutes of reading here. Sounds like it could be desirable it terms of single shrub properties but overall very undesirable due to it's aggressively invasive nature. Unfortunately, I've spotted at least 4 or five that appear to be planted and thriving in neighborhood yards.

rhizo, it's been my observation that jurisdictions cherry pick what "invasive species" they choose to target, both flora and fauna.

I know that "native" and "invasive" has been discussed on this forum in the past, but it would be nice to have a dispassionate non confrontational discussion on the subject. A start may be to define just what "native" is.

Daniel, didn't mean to hijack.

Autumn olive appears poised to be every bit the bad actor that has been the case with buckthorn, non-native honeysuckles, etc.

Native in this context refers to a species being present at the time of the initial land survey, most of which were performed in the 1840s. There's really no great mystery here-native species were simply present prior to European colonization on this continent.

kentrees, why don't you start a new thread about invasive, native, introduced, naturalized, etc. plants. It's always an interesting topic.

Just to clarify .... the terms 'native' and 'invasive' are not opposites. In other words 'invasive' and 'non-native' are not synonyms. There are plenty of non-native trees and shrubs growing outside their natural habitats in farms and gardens all over the world. But that doesn't make them invasive. 'Invasive' has a specific meaning. Eleagnus umbellatum is non-native in N America but that isn't what makes it invasive. Its propensity to spread into the wild and displace the previously existing ecosystem is what makes it invasive. It is also non-native in the UK but it isn't invasive here.

rhizo, your link is interesting, but there are some on this forum that would vehemently disagree with those definitions. I'm not sure I'm in agreement myself, but my opinion carries no weight.

I attempted to start a discussion a while back, maybe a couple years ago, it didn't go anywhere.

I think what bothers me, at least as far as this forum goes, is the demeaning and condescending attitude some posters take when someone asks for an ID or a question about a plant that unbeknown by the OP, is on an invasive species list.

I'm in total agreement with Floral and gardengal.

I added the website solely as a talking point for kentrees if and when he starts a new thread. Hint hint (poor Daniel might not be happy with the conversation on his thread).

kentrees, I agree vehemently that a new visitor should never be treated disrepectfully. But, as an educator and something of an expert in urban forestry, I consider it important to be informative about important characteristics of the plant in question....good or bad. Most of us can offer information in a respectful and polite manner and the vast majority of visitors are glad to be educated.

Okay rhizo, you win, I'll start a new thread, but right now I'm about to go out and whip a patch of Lonicera japonica into submission so I can plant a small grove of Metasequoia glyptostroboides come fall. Hmmmm, that's two non-native exotics lol. But wait! Weren't redwoods native to what is now North America at one time?

kentrees everyone is always clamoring for photos - I'd like some photos of the whipping!

In my area the unofficial nickname is "Ugly Agnes" for the way it takes over everything and seeds everywhere.

"Non-native exotics" is redundant of course.

kentrees12, while you are whipping your honeysuckle you might consider weaving some wreathes like this one, I think they are so much better than the ones at the craft store.

I think I'm regretting using the word 'whip'.

I've seen locally produced grapevine wreaths, never honeysuckle lol.

"As long as you upkeep your lawn you should have no problem with them spreading..."

That statement from Logan's/Caldwell's website clearly illustrates his utter and complete lack of understanding regarding the subject.

"...ignoring it's single downside."

You could say the same about a pretty shiny pool of radioactive mercury in your yard, right over your water well. I mean after all it's bright and shiny, so who wouldn't want it! Just ignore the dummies that warn about some imagined danger. As long as you watch to make sure it doesn't wash into your well, you should have no problem with it.....yeah, right.

Oh, and BTW, if a sterile autumn olive was available, Logan would be right about the benefits. There are benefits, but the severe disadvantage clearly outweighs them all.

Well, to be fair I harvest the fruit to eat so I don't deal with any of the invasive side of this plant. I wonder if there would be a way to create a sterile AO...........

I still won't condemn this plant, it has done nothing but good for me.

So since starting this thread I've been paying closer attention to the road side for the last few days. These things are everywhere. There are large 20 ft ones in various yards. And there in the thickets and ditches and fence rows near by there are un-countable numbers of them, and that's just what I can see from the road as I'm speeding by. I'm not sure what that means for me and the keep it or kill it decision but I will say the accusation for invasive appears to be pretty accurate.

Yup. It's no joke. I'd rank-hey wait, I already did-autumn olive right up there with buckthorn and non-native invasive honeysuckles for virulent ability to crowd out other species. This is a bad one folks, here in the eastern half of N. America anyway.

Daniel, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources propagated, planted and distributed Autumn Olive back in the '70s and probably into the '80s. Maybe even later. There are long stretches of them along the interstates in Indiana. They sold seedlings at their nurseries to homeowners and anyone else who wanted them. I was one of the unsuspecting homeowners back in the '70s who bought a few, thinking they'd be good for blocking our view of the busy street in front of our house. Little did I know at the time that IDNR was propagating invasive species. Who woulda thought? A few years later, when I discovered my mistake, I began removing them. I never had seedlings come up and the plants are long gone, but it took a few years of repeated cutting to eliminate them. Good riddance!

Daniel, why don't you at least give it a fair chance? If it turns out that you don't like it you can always remove it. I find the flowers especially fragrant.