Ilovemytrees, Russian olive is invasive in NY state.

I keep reading it fixes nitrogen with their roots, but I have no idea what that exactly means. I'm going to go research that.

I know it is invasive, I don't deny that, but it isn't banned. I didn't do anything illegal. I called our local soil and water conservation place, and the woman I spoke to said she wasn't aware of any Russian Olives in our area. I planted one in my front yard yesterday, and will be planting 2 more next week in my backyard.

There are SO many plants nowadays that are considered invasive. All the best trees and shrubs are invasive. :<

I have too much wind in my yard/area, being so close to Lake Erie that even a Witch Hazel lasted only a couple days in my front yard, before 50mph winds split the trunk in half, right down the middle. $70 instantly down the drain. That happened a few years ago. That was an aha moment for us...... realizing how windy our area is. We never realized before just how much wind we get.

I wanted a small shade tree, and something that I can count on, something that is solidly strong in the wind. Russian Olive will hopefully do just that. And it'll provide food for birds. The one thing I was fascinated by is that it has thorns all over it. I had no idea it would, and it has a huge taproot. It's an over all very good looking bareroot plant. Oh and it's a multi-trunk. It was pruned all over, I'm not sure if that is to make it into a shrub, or to a tree, but I want it to be a tree.

Friend or foe: The debate continues over Russian olives

All plants need nitrogen compounds to make protein. Our atmosphere is mostly nitrogen. However, few life forms can use the nitrogen in the atmosphere. A handful of plants like beans, black locust, and alder have symbiotic relationships with bacteria that extract nitrogen from the atmosphere and use it to make fertilizer. This helps them grow on poor soil.

Wind is a problem at my Dad's place. I've been researching wind resistant trees. What about planting Wnter King Hawthorn or Ironwood?

Ha! I planted 25 European Hornbeams in my backyard a few years ago, and they all developed massive Sunscald over the winter. They grew 4ft during the growing season, but come winter they were terribly damaged by the sunscald in my southwest facing backyard. And last month 25% of my supposedly wind tolerant viburnums were also decapitated by our winds, a couple weeks after planting.

My microclimate stinks to high heaven. Russian Olives are my last resort, and then I'm giving up. :(

In humid regions Russian-olive is susceptible to a twig/branch canker that can do a lot of damage. IMO they are relatively short-lived and do not age gracefully.

There are US hornbeams, Carpinus caroliniana, AKA musclewood AKA blue beech that I would guess would be fine in your area. They do well here, and I get a fair amount of wind, channeled by the river valley. They did fine in northern OH where I previously lived.

and the article linked above is for the western US, not NY or New England.

no comment.. lol ... ken

"no comment.. lol ... ken"

Apparently I'm not the only one who purposefully grows invasives. Russian olive will grow like a multi-trunked tree if pruned that way.

"I wanted ... something that is solidly strong in the wind."

I've seen storm damage on Russian-olive in my area on more than one occasion. IMO it wouldn't rate very high in terms of storm resistance, especially in a heavy snowfall area like the OP's.

Surprised that the OP had so much trouble with European hornbeam. I would think if the soil conditions are reasonably good, it would be OK, even in an exposed location. Photo of European hornbeam in western NY (south of Buffalo):

Ah, I see your problem now. You are going with wussy European plants. Do you know how balmy it is across the pond?

You should have planted good American hornbeam...it is rated for a full zone colder then the European version.

Also, if you have room for 25 Hornbeam, why are you limiting yourself to tiny things like viburnums? Those are shrubs for people with tiny lots and no space to plant anything decent. You are one of the lucky few who have space for real trees. You should be planting White Oak, American Beech, Sugar Maple, Concolor Fir, Baldcypress. If you hate your country so much, at least go with Norway Spruce.

Garden like a man, dammit.

<ducks and runs for cover>

Informative YOUTUBE about Russian olive. The Nature Conservancy volunteers devote countless hours removing and destroying this weed.

The Russian Olives were checked, once it was obvious they weren't leafing out, and they were all brown underneath, top to bottom. Dead. I threw them out, and will not be planting any more.