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NAME: Russian Olive

SPECIES / FAMILY:  Elaeagnus angustifolia / Elaeagnaceae

OTHER COMMON NAME(S):  Silver Berry

CONDITIONS: sun
 

PARTS:	EDIBLE	TASTE	RAW/COOK	SEASON
All
Shoots
Leaves
Stalk/Stem
Buds
Flowers
Fruits		dry/sweet/mealy	RAW/COOK	Fall
Pods
Seeds			RAW/COOK	Fall
Nuts
Roots
Bark

 

PORTION: medium

 

COMMENT: Fruit - raw or cooked as a seasoning in soups. Dry, sweet and mealy. The fruit can also be made into jellies or sherbets. The fruit must be fully ripe before it can be enjoyed raw, if even slightly under-ripe it will be quite astringent. The oval fruit is about 10mm long[200] and contains a single large seed. Seed - raw or cooked. It can be eaten with the fruit though the seed case is rather fibrous.(1)

 

CAUTION:

 

NUTRITION/MEDICINAL:  Cancer;  Febrifuge;  Pectoral. The oil from the seeds is used with syrup as an electuary in the treatment of catarrh and bronchial affections. The juice of the flowers has been used in the treatment of malignant fevers. The fruit of many members of this genus is a very rich source of vitamins and minerals, especially in vitamins A, C and E, flavanoids and other bio-active compounds. It is also a fairly good source of essential fatty acids, which is fairly unusual for a fruit. It is being investigated as a food that is capable of reducing the incidence of cancer and also as a means of halting or reversing the growth of cancers.(1)

 

LOOK-A-LIKES:  Autumn Olive

 

POISONOUS LOOK-A-LIKES: 

 

OTHER USES:

 

SOURCE LINKS (may include nutritional and medicinal info, plus other uses):

1. https://pfaf.org/user/plant.aspx?LatinName=Elaeagnus+angustifolia
2. http://www.eattheweeds.com/edible-elaeagnus-2/
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elaeagnus_angustifolia