Elaeagnus umbellata Pointilla Amoroso

Elaeagnus umbellata Amoroso will delight enthusiasts of original, decorative and easy-to-care-for bushes. This selection, derived from the Autumn Olive, also known as the Japanese Goumi, stands out for its more abundant and sweeter fruiting, compared to the typical variety. Its small red berries, punctuated with white, are harvested in autumn. Its abundant but insignificant spring flowering gives off a honey-like fragrance that can be perceived from several metres away. Widely used in field hedges, windbreaks, or fruit-bearing hedges, it is an easy and delicious plant that possesses an indefinable charm. To maximize fruit production, plant multiple individuals close to each other.

The umbellate Elaeagnus umbellata, also known as the Autumn Olive, is a large deciduous bush belonging to the Elaeagnaceae family, native to Eastern Asia, specifically the Himalayas. It is widespread from Afghanistan to China, Japan, and Korea. The 'Pointilla Amoroso' cultivar shows rapid growth and forms a branching bush with a wide, dense, but flexible and spreading habit, reaching about 3m (9 ft 10 in) in height and 2.50m (8 ft 2 in) in width, sometimes more. Its deciduous foliage persists for a long time before falling in autumn. It can sometimes be semi-evergreen (in mild climates) or marcescent, meaning that dry leaves remain attached to the branches in winter. The leaves are entire, narrow, 4-10cm (1.6-3.9 in) long and 2cm (0.8 in) wide, lanceolate, with more or less wavy edges. They have a bluish-green and matte colour on the upper side, while the underside is lighter, silvery, and satin-like. The small cream-white to pale yellow, inconspicuous star-shaped flowers are gathered in pendulous umbels at the axils of the leaves. They usually appear in late spring, May-June depending on the climate. They have a delicious scent, and are nectar-rich, attracting bees. The root system of Elaeagnus, like that of plants in the fabaceae family (alfalfa, sainfoin), is perfectly adapted to poor soils, which it helps enrich.

The flowers of Elaeagnus Amoroso give way to small round, fleshy fruits, 8mm (0.3 in) in diameter, dark red with white-silver punctuations when ripe. They are edible, fragrant, sweet, and acidic, particularly rich in vitamins and antioxidants. They can be enjoyed raw when fully ripe, as compote or jam.

A bush of Elaeagnus umbellata Amoroso stands out from afar, thanks to the silver shine of its ever-moving foliage. In autumn, covered in fruits, it becomes one of the highlights of the garden. Its vigour, resistance, and great adaptability make it an excellent plant for informal hedges or windbreaks, capable of growing enthusiastically in difficult conditions, in full wind and in mediocre soil. It is valuable in a coastal garden or a dry garden, in windy regions. It can be very well used in a mixed hedge, alongside other beautiful shrubs such as Rosa moyesii botanical rose, Amelanchier ovalis, hawthorn Crataegus monogyna, the wayfaring tree Viburnum lantana, and sea buckthorn Hippophae rhamnoides or Poncirus trifoliata. In spring, its flowering is capable of perfuming a whole section of the garden!