Elaeagnus umbellata Fortunella

Elaeagnus umbellata Fortunella is a variety of Japanese Goumi that stands out for its yellow fruits, instead of red. Derived from the Autumn Olive, it is a beautiful deciduous shrub that is, ornamental, tasty, and undemanding. Its small red berries punctuated with white are harvested in autumn. Its abundant but discreet spring flowering reveals a honey scent that can be detected from several metres away. Widely used in hedgerows, windbreaks, or fruit gardens, it is an easy and delicious plant that possesses an indescribable charm. To maximize fruit production, plant several individuals close to each other.

Elaeagnus umbellata, is a large deciduous shrub of the Elaeagnaceae family, native to East Asia, specifically the Himalayas. It is found from Afghanistan to China, Japan, and Korea. The shrub is also known as the Japanese silverberry, autumn olive, or umbellate oleaster, due to its resemblance to the famous Mediterranean tree. The cultivar 'Fortunella' shows rapid growth and forms a branching shrub with a wide, bushy, but flexible and spreading habit, reaching about 3 m (9 ft 10 in) in height and 2.50 m (8 ft 2 in) in width, sometimes more. Its deciduous foliage persists for quite some time before falling in autumn, sometimes semi-evergreen (in mild climates) or marcescent, meaning the dry leaves remain attached to the branches in winter. The leaves are simple, narrow, 4 to 10 cm (1.6 to 3.9 in) long, and 2 cm (0 and 0.8 in) wide, lanceolate, with wavy edges. They are bluish-green and, matte on the upper side, while the underside is lighter, silvery, and satin-like. The small cream-white to pale yellow star-shaped and inconspicuous flowers are gathered in pendulous umbels in the axils of the leaves in May-June depending on the climate. They are honey-scented and nectar-rich, attracting bees. The root system of Elaeagnus, like that of plants in the legume family (alfalfa, sainfoin), is perfectly adapted to poor soils, which it helps enrich.

The flowers of the Elaeagnus Amoroso give way to small round, fleshy fruits, 8 mm (0.3 in) in diameter, amber-yellow punctuated with white-silver when ripe. They are edible, sweet and tangy, slightly astringent and particularly rich in vitamins and antioxidants. They can be eaten raw or as compote or jam.

An Elaeagnus umbellata Fortunella bush stands out from afar, thanks to the silver shine of its ever-moving foliage. In autumn, covered in fruits, it is one of those plants that bring life to the garden. Its vigour, resistance, and great adaptability make it an excellent informal hedge or windbreak plant, capable of growing well in difficult conditions, in full wind and in poor soil. It is valuable in a seaside garden or a dry garden in windy regions. It can be used very well in a mixed hedge, alongside other beautiful shrubs such as the botanical rose Rosa moyesii, the Arbutus unedo, the Amelanchier ovalis, the hawthorn Crataegus monogyna, the wayfaring tree Viburnum lantana, the sea buckthorn Hippophae rhamnoides, and the hardy orange Poncirus trifoliata. In spring, its flowering can perfume a whole section of the garden!