PlantFiles: Cherry Silverberry, Goumi
Elaeagnus multiflora

I planted a Goumi that I bought from Burnt Ridge Nursery a year ago last spring. It's an attractive bush with foliage that's olive green on top and silver on the bottom. The twigs are reddish brown. It's been a moderate grower and bore a couple handfuls of berries this year in late June. The taste of the fruit is a balance of sweet and sour with a bit of astringency - not really comparable to any common fruits. It provides a pleasant nibble in the garden but would probably be more generally popular if prepared in jams, sauces, or juices. The seed is fairly large compared to the fruit, easy to spit out if eating fresh and, though I haven't tried it, probably easy to separate in a food mill if processing.

I bought this plant (I believe this plant) back in 2006 from Jung Seed under what they called Goumi Sweet Scarlet. I have seen Red Gem offered from One Green World, but my plant seems to bear enough berries on it's own without needing cross-pollination. I have read stories of people buying this and receiving an Autumn Olive. I can only assume what I have is what I agreed to buy.
I love this plant. It is on the far edge of my property so has grown up neglected by me. I watered it twice it's first year. It is robust and has withstood bitter cold winters without die back. It keeps it's leaves during droughts. The deer even leave it alone. It is my second favorite plant, just under my golden raspberries. It has fruited for me in late July. The berries just drop. I've read your suppose to put a sheet under it and shake the branches to drop the fruit and they will drop when ripe. I don't care for the fruit because it tastes like a sweet wax. The texture isn't pleasing to me. It doesn't have a flavor I can place. I've spotted flowers the first week of June. I don't notice any scent and they are tiny ivory blooms lasting a few weeks. I love the leaves of this plant, how they sparkle in the light on a windy day. That's why it's one of my favorite plants. I have never been able to take a picture that does this plant justice with how pretty it is in the sun light. The fruit even sparkles from the silver flakes in the flesh. It was about 4 feet tall last year and I believe it fruited the 3rd year.

I purchased this plant last year. It is about 3 ft high and very healthy, but I expected it to bloom and bear fruit, and it hasn't yet. If anyone has any experience with it, and how long it takes to produce, also if it needs a polinator, please let me know.