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Good intentions gone bad. What a perfect way to describe the spreading of the invasive autumn olive throughout Indiana. Once thought as the best way to control erosion and provide wildlife habitat, it is now a major hassle. Although a pretty plant - with its cream-colored flowers and rich red fruits - autumn olive has created a lot of problems for forests, farmers and native species trying to survive where it thrives.
The Invasive Autumn Olive
Autumn olive is a deciduous shrub that can grow as tall as 20 feet. Its cream to pale yellow flowers bloom in early spring and bring on an abundance of pink to red berries dotted with scales. The plants leaves are elliptical-shaped with a slightly wavy margin. It is distinguished from other similar shrubs (such as Russian olive) by the silvery scales found on the lower leaf surface. Although beautiful and fragrant, autumn olive’s aggressive proliferation is detrimental to natural areas throughout Indiana.
The autumn olive is a native plant of China, Japan and Korea that made its way to the United States in 1830. In the 1950’s it was widely promoted as a great way to provide wildlife habitat and erosion control in environmentally disturbed areas. Although it did make available habitat and food for wildlife, it soon became a major problem as autumn olive began to rapidly spread throughout the state. To make matters worse, attempts to remove the shrub by cutting and/or burning created even more autumn olive.
The Problem with Autumn Olive
Autumn olive is an invasive specie that out-competes and displaces native plants by creating a dense shade that hinders the growth of plants that need lots of sun. It can produce up to 200,000 seeds each year, and can spread over a variety of habitats as its nitrogen-fixing root nodules allows the plant to grow in even the most unfavorable soils. Not to mention that it reproduces quickly and with little effort at all. Birds are quite attracted to the seeds, and will scatter them throughout pastures, along roadsides and near fences. Even attempting to remove autumn olive by cutting or burning from your property can cause unwanted spreading as the shrub germinates easily.
What You Should Do About It
According to The Nature Conservancy’s Element Stewardship Abstract for Elaeagnus umbellate, autumn olive is quickly becoming one of the most troublesome shrubs in central and eastern United States. High seed production, high germination rates and the sheer hardiness of the plant allows it to grow rapidly. Indiana’s Invasive Plant Species Assessment Work Group, or IPSAWG, has found that hand pulling autumn olive seedlings is an effective way to rid yourself of the plant. In fact, control efforts before fruiting will prevent the spread of seeds. If the plant is too big to pull, herbicides will be necessary to eradicate the plant from the general area of invasion. You will need to cut and apply herbicide to the trunk repeatedly, from summer through winter. Please make sure to read and follow the directions on the herbicide label precisely. For more specific information on what types of herbicide to use, check our IPSAWG’s Fact Sheet on Autumn Olive.
Although it is not illegal to sell or buy autumn olive in Indiana, it is recommended that Hoosiers do not sell, buy or plant autumn olive, and to remove the invasive from your property. Remember - cutting and burning alone will not get rid of autumn olive, but will only create more.
Why Autumn Olive isn't an Issue for Everyone
Although autumn olive is an invasive specie that hinders the growth of native plants in Indiana, not everyone is willing to see them completely eradicated from our landscape. Apparently autumn olive – at least most cultivars of the plant – has a tasty fruit that many people enjoy eating raw, cooked or distilled. Check out these recipes for autumn olive jam and autumn olive wine.
Besides being yummy, autumn olive may also be good for you. Studies have concluded that the invasive is a great source of lycopene – a bright red organic pigment that appears to have strong antioxidant capabilities. Lycopene is commonly linked to tomatoes yet research has shown that autumn olive has a higher concentration of the nutrient than the big red fruit. The cartenoid is thought to helpful in the prevention of heart disease, muscular degenerative disease and in bladder, breast, cervix, lung, prostate and skin cancers. However, research is still in the preliminary stages therefore it is not for certain whether lycopene plays a strong part in the prevention and/or treatment of any disease.
Autumn olive is also said to be beneficial to the growth of black walnut trees. Planting the invasive in black walnut groves is said to increase the height and width of the tree and decrease the presence of mycosphaerella leaf spot. This may be due to autumn olive’s nitrogen-fixing capabilities which also allow them to inhabit areas with poor soil conditions. While advantageous to the black walnut, this facet of autumn olive also causes excess nitrate-leaching that contributes to non-point source pollution of groundwater and surface water. Even though there are some some positive facets of autumn olive, it is still an invasive that negatively affects the land it invades.
For More Information
The Nature Conservancy's Global Invasive Species Team information on Autumn olive & our Element Stewardship Analysis findings.
USDA - National Invasive Species Information Center - Autumn Olive
ISSG - Global Invasive Species Database - Elaeagnus umbellata
Invasive Plant Species Assessment Working Group
Indiana Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey (CAPS) Program information on Autumn olive
MIPN - Midwest Invasive Plant Network
DNR's Recommendations for Autumn Olive
The Nature Conservancy's Six Easy Ways to Combat Invasive Species
Nature picture credits (top to bottom, left to right): Photo © TNC (Autumn olive flowers); Photo © Jennifer Forman Orth / Invasive Species Weblog (Autumn olive berries); Photo © TNC (autumn olive twigs); Photo © TNC (autumn olive fruit).
