When I lived in Portland, I loved Elaeagnus for inclusion in food forests: nitrogen-fixing shrubs in their own family (allowing diversification of this important function rather than relying solely on Fabaceae), producing tasty berries following abundant flowers which feed pollinators. When I visited Hawai'i in 2010, I was excited to see a small nursery selling Elaeagnus philippensis at Maku'u Market. According to the entry for synonym E. triflora, in A Tropical Garden Flora by George Staples & Derral Herbst, its common names are "Lingaro" and "Gumi." That suggests a similarity to the "Goumi," E. multiflora, which made delicious fruits in Portland. And in fact the book says that E. triflora has long been misidentified as E. multiflora. All signs point to a goumi-similar Elaeagnus for the tropics!
Disappointingly, after moving to Hawai'i I never saw the species again at Maku'u Market, nor could I find it with web searches...until I searched again a few months ago and finally found the same nursery! It turns out they also sell E. pungens and E. x ebbingei, who I also planted in Portland! (They went by the common names of "Hybrid Silverberry" and "Golden Silverberry" at One Green World.) The nursery is at about 100' elevation, and the owner says the E. phillipensis does not fruit there. He guesses perhaps above 700' would be cool enough for fruiting? The others do fruit at his location.
I visited the nursery two weeks ago. I wasn't convinced their sad looking E. x ebbingei 'Gilt Edge' cuttings were actually rooted, since I've had cuttings keep their leaves in a pot for a year before finally dying off. So I passed on that variety, but bought one each of:
Elaeagnus philippensis
Lingaro Berry. Description from the nursery:
An evergreen shrub or small tree to about ten feet with a great arching habit with silvery leaves. Delicious shimmering red berries in the fall are small but in large clusters. The darkest red are the sweetest, but still have a tartness and a great after taste. If not ripe they are astringent. Excellent eaten fresh, in a sauce or dessert, great on ice cream. Small seeds can be eaten, but some prefer to spit them out. Full sun, easy to grow, drought tolerant, a big bird draw. A great source of lycopene, a cancer fighter. It has 19 times the level in tomatoes. From the higher areas of the Philippines, produces the most fruit in areas with cooler nights. Produces fruit on two year old wood.
Elaeagnus pungens 'Maculata'
Variegated, perhaps the same as One Green World's 'Aureo-maculata' golden silverberry? Description from the nursery:
Mottled Elaeagnus. An easy to grow drought tolerant evergreen shrub with showy variegation, blending multiple shades of green and yellow throughout leaf. Can grow 5’ or more, can be grown in the full sun or part, but grows tighter in hot sun. Any soil, tolerates abuse well. I love this plant, and it was hard to find for a long time. It was grown by my mentor Sinjen, so it has always has a special place in my heart. 'Gilt Edge' is the more commonly available selection, but I like the multi-hued variegation of this one better. They both grow about the same size and share the same habit. It can be a little gangly when young, but prunes well and can be trained to grow in many situations. Great on a hillside, or even espaliered on a hot wall.
Elaeagnus pungens 'Hosoba Fukurin'
Description from the nursery:
Variegated Elaeagnus. An easy to grow drought tolerant evergreen shrub with grayish broad leathery foliage. This selection has a light golden edged variegation. Can grow 5’ or more, full sun or part, but grows tighter in hot sun. Any soil, tolerates abuse well. Has a small fragrant flower, a reddish berry attractive to wildlife. Can be thorny. The plant came to me unlabeled, but I think the name is correct, if anyone knows differently, please let me know.
I planted the three in a row about 12' long, with about 6' between them. They'll each get about half a day of mid-day sun. (For my own reference: E. phillipensis is southmost, 'Maculata' in the middle, and 'Hosoba Fukurin' northmost.) I look forward to propagating them once the plants establish, both from cuttings and eventually from seed!
If anyone has silverberries (E. pungens or E. x ebbingei) established and wants to send me cuttings, please get in touch!
