Russian olive
Elaeagnus angustifolia
Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia) is a shrub suited to the Colorado Front Range. It matures to about 15–30 ft tall and 15–25 ft wide, needs low to medium water, and prefers full sun. DO NOT PLANT. Looks tough and silver-leafed but is an ecological disaster on Front Range waterways.
low to medium water15–30 ft tall and 15–25 ft wideXeric / water-wiseInvasive in Colorado
Photos
At a glance
- Botanical name
- Elaeagnus angustifolia
- Type
- Shrub
- Mature size
- 15–30 ft tall and 15–25 ft wide
- Water needs
- low to medium water
- Sun
- full sun
- Colorado native
- No
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Soil
- clay, sandy, loam
- Soil pH
- 6.5–8.5
- Hail tolerance
- moderate
- Wind tolerance
- high
- Salt tolerance
- high
Frequently asked questions
- Is Russian olive good for the Colorado Front Range?
- Yes. Russian olive is included in the Front Range Plant Finder as a shrub suited to Colorado's Front Range.
- How big does Russian olive get?
- It matures to about 15–30 ft tall and 15–25 ft wide.
- How much water does Russian olive need?
- It needs low to medium water once established.
- Is Russian olive native to Colorado?
- No — it is not a Colorado native, but it grows well on the Front Range.
