Autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata) is one of my favorite wild edible berries to forage, but one that I do not recommend planting in your yard or on your farm as it is highly invasive.

Luckily, you can find these easily enough on old farms. Foraging these tiny berries is a super fun activity to do with friends and family – and each shrub will be loaded with them. Some old farms will have hundreds of autumn olives left to spread and so you’ll be able to harvest all you can process and use without causing a large environmental impact.

This is a deciduous shrub native to Asia, particularly China, Japan, and Korea. It was introduced to the United States in the 1830s for ornamental purposes, soil erosion control, and wildlife habitat. However, it has since become an invasive species in many parts of the U.S.

Many wild birds actually do enjoy feasting on these wild edibles despite the fact that it’s invasive so it starts to beg the question of whether this shrub is good or bad for the environment. My two cents is it’s horrible for native plants, but it seems benefitial to the local animals.

Many bird species are attracted to the berries of autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata) due to their high nutritional value, particularly during migration or in the winter months when food sources are scarce.  While some native birds have adapted to eating these berries, the abundance and spread of autumn olive are part of the reason it has become invasive—it provides a reliable food source for birds that then help to disperse its seeds, further promoting its spread.

Some of the birds that commonly eat autumn olive berries include:

1. American Robin (Turdus migratorius): These birds are frequent foragers of autumn olive berries, especially in the fall.
2. Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis): Known to feed on a variety of berries, cardinals are often seen foraging autumn olive fruit.
3. Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis): Bluebirds, which feed on a variety of small wild edible fruits, are also attracted to autumn olive berries.
4. Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus): These finches forage a wide range of seeds and berries, including those from autumn olive plants.
5. Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura): Doves will sometimes harvest the wild berries of autumn olive shrubs.
6. American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos): Crows are opportunistic feeders and will forage autumn olive berries when available.
7. Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina): These thrushes are also known to eat the fruit of the wild edible berry.
8. Robins and other thrush species: Other thrush species, like the Swainson’s thrush, also enjoy foraging the berries.
9. Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum): These songbirds forage the berries on their migration paths.

Identification:

• Appearance: The shrub can grow 6-20 feet tall and spread widely. It has silvery, lance-shaped leaves with a slightly metallic sheen on the underside. In the fall, the foliage turns yellow to red.
• Flowers: Small, fragrant, and creamy-yellow in color, appearing in late spring to early summer.
• Fruit: Autumn olive produces small, red to orange berries that are edible and often spotted with silver. The most distinctive feature is the berries have small, white dots all around them
• Leaves: The autumn olive leaves are green on top, and slightly whitish on the bottom. Lanceolate.
• Roots: It has nitrogen-fixing roots, meaning it can improve soil fertility but also spread rapidly, outcompeting native species.

Season:

• The berries are ripe in late summer to fall. You can harvest them anytime they are red for most desserts, however if you plant to eat them raw it’s best to wait until a couple of hard frosts, which will remove the acidity.

Look Alikes:

• Amur Honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii) – an invasive shrub native to eastern Asia, specifically northeastern China, Korea, and Japan. It was introduced to North America in the early 1800s as an ornamental plant and for soil erosion control. Over time, it has become a problematic invasive species in many parts of the U.S., particularly in the Midwest and Eastern states.
  • Identification: The berries are lacking the white dots and the leaves also don’t have that white color on the bottom. The leaves are large than that of autumn olive.

• Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) – a deciduous tree native to eastern North America, well-known for its stunning spring flowers, vibrant fall foliage, and attractive form. It is the state tree and flower of Missouri and has significant ornamental value in landscapes due to its beauty and relatively small size.
  • • Identification: The berries are not perfectly round – they have a bump on them and are oval in shape. The leaves are much broader and not rubbery like autumn olive leaves.

• Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) is an invasive vine native to East Asia, including China, Japan, and Korea. It was introduced to North America in the 1800s as an ornamental plant and for erosion control. However, it has since become highly invasive, spreading rapidly and outcompeting native vegetation. One of its most distinctive features is its bright orange-red berries, which are a key characteristic of the plant.

• Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) is a native shrub to the eastern United States, valued for its aromatic leaves, bark, and berries. It’s most well-known for the spicy-scented leaves and berries, which are used by wildlife and occasionally humans. Spicebush is commonly found in deciduous forests, along stream banks, and in woodland edges.
  • Identification:
    • Size: A shrub usually up to about 15 feet.
    • Leaves: The leaves are oval or lance-shaped, with a pointed tip and smooth or slightly wavy edges.
    • Shape: It has a dense, rounded, and spreading habit with multiple stems arising from the base. It is generally a bushy shrub that can be fairly dense in form.
    • Aromatic: When crushed, the leaves emit a spicy, aromatic fragrance, which is one of the key identifying features.
    • Flowers:  Small, yellow-green, and grow in clusters. Great for pollinators.
    • Berries: Red and ripe in mid to late summer. Used as a spice. Don’t ingest in large quantities.

• Privit, multiple types – 
  • Identification:
    • Size: Privet shrubs can range in size from 3 to 15 feet tall (1-4.5 meters), depending on the species and growing conditions. Some cultivars may grow even taller if left unchecked.
    • Leaves: The leaves are typically oval to lance-shaped, glossy, and dark green. They are often evergreen in warmer climates but may drop in colder areas.
    • Flowers: Privet shrubs produce small, tubular, white flowers, typically in late spring or early summer. These flowers grow in clusters and have a strong, pleasant fragrance, which can attract pollinators like bees and butterflies.
    • Berries: After flowering, most privets produce small, dark purple to black berries but some are red. They are round and often appear in late summer or fall. These berries are often foraged by wildlife but are toxic to humans and pets if consumed.

Ecological Impact:

Autumn olive has become invasive in many parts of the United States, particularly in the Midwest and Northeast. It can form dense thickets, shading out native plants and disrupting local ecosystems. Its ability to fix nitrogen also allows it to thrive in poor soils, further exacerbating its spread.

These berries are high in lycopene, an antioxidant, and can be used in jams, jellies, or consumed raw.

Management:

Efforts to control the spread of autumn olive include cutting back the shrubs, herbicide treatments, and planting native species to restore ecosystems.

Print Recipe

Autumn Olive Curd

Ingredients

• 3/4 Cup Autumn Olive Pulp
• 3/4 Cup Sugar
• 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter cubed
• 1 tsp Lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp Lemon zest
• 3 Large eggs

Instructions

• Put the autumn olives through a food mill to remove the pulp and juice from the seeds.
• Combing lemon juice, sugar, butter, eggs, autumn olive pulp, and lemon zest in the top part of a double boiler.
• Cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, whisking constantly to prevent the eggs from cooking, until mixture starts to thicken and bubbles form.
• REmove saucepan from heat and cool for 5 minutes. Transfer curd to a mason jar or bowl and cover with a lid. Cool overnight or at least 5 hours before using, preferably. It will thicken more as it cools.

Print Recipe

Autumn Olive Cream Cheese Puff Pastry

Ingredients

• 13 ounces Sheet of ready rolled puff pastry
• 1/2 cup Autumn Olive curd
• 5 ounce Full fat cream cheese
• 3 Tbsp Powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
• 1/2 Tbsp Cornstarch
• 1 Egg

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees Farenheit.
• Thaw pastry puff and place on a baking sheed. Slice the pastry puff into long rectangles or squares. You'll need to be able to fold half the dough on top.
• Slice diagonally down one side of the pastry, making a neat design. Set aside.
• Place the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and cornflour into a small bowl and beat until well combined and smooth.
• Spoon the autumn olive curd onto the unscored half of the pasty
• Spoon the cream cheese filling on top. It will be super thick and sticky and difficult to cover smoothly. Don't worry if it doesn't, but it's best if it covers the holes on the scored side.
• Fold the scored side on top of the side with the filling and pinch the edges together.
• Beat the egg and brush it on top of each pastry.
• Place in the oven for 17-22 minutes. Will be golden and the filling bubbling when done.