| Author | L. | |
| Distribution | Collected without cultivation in Graham, Orange, and Wake counties. Other specimens from Buncombe, Dare, Forsyth, and Wake counties are from cultivated plants.
Native of Eurasia; in N.A. throughout southern Canada and the U.S., but scattered east of the Mississippi River. | |
| Abundance | Very rare. | |
| Habitat | Big Flat Gap (Graham Co.), Kenan Woods (Orange Co.), greenway (Wake Co.). | |
| Phenology | Flowering May-July; fruiting September. | |
| Identification | Russian Olive is a small tree or large shrub. Leaves vary from lance-shaped to narrowly elliptical, short-tapered, generally covered with silvery sessile scales (especially beneath). Flowers are fragrant, dull yellow or tan, with a tube and 4 flaring pointed lobes. The fruits look like small olives. Our other spring flowering species is the very common E. umbellata, which has both silvery and bronzy leaf scales, and the leaves are broader. | |
| Taxonomic Comments | | |
| Other Common Name(s) | | |
| State Rank | SE | |
| Global Rank | GNR | |
| State Status | | |
| US Status | | |
| USACE-agcp | FACU link |
| USACE-emp | FACU link |
