PLANT: Autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata ELUM) is a bushy shrub with scattered thorny branches reaching 3-16 ft. in height.

IDENTIFICATION: A slowly deciduous shrub that produces fragrant silvery-white to yellow flowers in spring, and many red berries in fall. Twigs slender and silver scaly, some lateral twigs pointed like thorns. Branches and main stems olive drab with many whitish dots, becoming light gray to gray-brown with age, eventually fissuring to expose light brown inner bark. Leaves are alternate, elliptic, 2-3 inches long and 1.2 inches wide. Resembles silver thorn or thorny olive (Elaeagnus pungens) and Russian olive (E. angustifolia).

ECOLOGY: Often planted in reclamation areas and in wildlife plantings to form dense stands. Autumn olive spreads easily by animal-dispersed seeds. It is found as scattered plants in forest openings and open forests. Shade tolerant but prefers drier sites.

HERBICIDE CONTROL: Apply Arsenal AC or Vanquish as 1% solutions (4 ounces per 3-gal. mix) in water with a surfactant to thoroughly wet all leaves in April to October (can damage trees with roots in area). For stems too tall for foliar sprays, apply a 20% solution of Garlon 4 (2.5 quarts per 3-gal. mix) in commercially available basal oil, diesel fuel, or kerosene with a penetrant (check with herbicide distributor) to young bark as a basal spray (January to February or May to October). Or, cut large stems and immediately treat stumps with Arsenal AC as a 10% solution (1 quart per 3-gal. mix) or a glyphosate herbicide as a 20% solution (2.5 quarts per 3-gal. mix) in water with a surfactant. WARNING: Arsenal AC and Vanquish will damage plants with roots in the treated area. Always read and follow label directions carefully.