Elaeagnaceae

Russian olive

Elaeagnus angustifolia L.

Family: Elaeagnaceae
Genus: Elaeagnus

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Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia) — FlowerPhoto: Tom Norton, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist

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Common names

By language (20)

Arabic: زويتني, زيزفون خلاف, زيزفون كاذب, زيزفون محلي
Asturian: Árbol del paraísu
Belarusian: Лох усходні
Catalan: Eleagnus angustifolia, Olivera de Bohèmia
Central Kurdish: سنجوو
Chinese: 沙枣, 沙枣树皮, 沙枣胶, 沙枣花, 七里香, 则给毛道, 刺柳, 桂香柳
Czech: Hlošina úzkolistá
Dutch: Smalle olijfwilg
English: Russian olive, Oleaster, Russian silverberry, Russian-olive, Oleastar, Persian olive, Silver berry, Wild olive
Finnish: Idänhopeapensas
French: Olivier de Bohême
German: Schmalblättrige Ölweide
Hebrew: עץ-השמן המכסיף
Macedonian: Дива маслинка
Persian: غبیده بادام, قبیده بادام
Romanian: Sălcioară mirositoare
Russian: Лох узколистный, Дикая маслина, Лох восточный, Маслён
Slovenian: Ozkolistna oljčica
Spanish: Árbol del paraíso
Ukrainian: Лох вузьколистий, Ґумі

Synonyms

Elaeagnus angustifolia subsp. orientalis (L.) Soják
Elaeagnus angustifolia var. angustifolia
Elaeagnus angustifolia var. biebersteiniana Kuntze
Elaeagnus angustifolia var. caspica Sosn.
Elaeagnus angustifolia var. iliensis Musch.
Elaeagnus angustifolia var. normalis Kuntze
Elaeagnus angustifolia var. orientalis (L.) Kuntze
Elaeagnus angustifolia var. spinosa (L.) Kuntze
Elaeagnus angustifolia var. turcica Yıld.
Elaeagnus argentea Moench
Elaeagnus caspica (Sosn.) Grossh.
Elaeagnus dactyliformis Schltdl.
Elaeagnus erivanensis Fisch. ex Schltdl.
Elaeagnus hortensis M.Bieb.
Elaeagnus hortensis subsp. continentalis Servett.
Elaeagnus hortensis subsp. littoralis Servett.
Elaeagnus hortensis subsp. moorcroftii (Wall. ex Schltdl.) Servett.
Elaeagnus hortensis subsp. songarica (Bernh. ex Schltdl.) Servett.
Elaeagnus hortensis subsp. songorica (Bernh. ex Schltdl.) Servett.
Elaeagnus hortensis var. dactyliformis Loudon
Elaeagnus hortensis var. igda Servett.
Elaeagnus hortensis var. microcarpa Servett.
Elaeagnus hortensis var. orientalis (L.) Loudon
Elaeagnus hortensis var. songarica Bernh. ex Schltdl.
Elaeagnus hortensis var. songorica Bernh. ex Schltdl.
Elaeagnus igda (Servett.) Tzvelev
Elaeagnus iliensis (Musch.) Musch.
Elaeagnus incana Lam.
Elaeagnus inermis Mill.
Elaeagnus litoralis (Servett.) Kozlowsk.
Elaeagnus longipes var. hortensis Maxim.
Elaeagnus moorcroftii Wall. ex Schltdl.
Elaeagnus multiflora var. hortensis (M.Bieb.) Servett.
Elaeagnus orientalis L.
Elaeagnus oxycarpa Schltdl.
Elaeagnus oxycarpa var. microcarpa (Servett.) Tzvelev
Elaeagnus songarica (Bernh. ex Schltdl.) Schltdl.
Elaeagnus songarica var. kozlovskajae Tzvelev
Elaeagnus songorica Fisch. ex Trautv.
Elaeagnus spinosa L.

and 3 more.

Flowers

In flower: May to June (from 461 flowering iNaturalist observations worldwide)
Flower colour: yellow (USDA PLANTS Database)

Characteristics

Growth habit: Shrub, Tree
Lifespan: Perennial
In the US and Canada: Canada: introduced, Lower 48 states: introduced

Photos

FlowerPhoto: Tom Norton, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Tamberly Conway, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Ross Krisztina, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: nuthatchnicole, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Indio Brown, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: This file is available under Creative Commons BY-SA license . Basically: You can, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Olena V. Vakarenko, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Mykola Swarnyk, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Ryan Hodnett, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: AnRo0002, CC0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Clément Maouche, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: AnRo0002, CC0, from Wikimedia Commons

More in Elaeagnus

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.