We can become the natural predator. While I support removing these shrubs, I think there is a place to emphasize USING them as they go. So it is actually impressive that we know so much about the benefits of the autumn olive berry. Autumn Olive was so widely planted on mine reclamation sites in the mid-20th century that it has extensively naturalized in some regions. Health Benefits of Autumn Olive. Still there are no laws that I know of preventing a person from stopping and eating the berries. Sorry for the delay in response. Lycopene has powerful antioxidant properties, making it of interest for nutraceutical use.” The berries also contain high levels of vitamins A, C and E, and flavonoids and essential fatty acids. In some Eastern and Midwestern states Autumn Olive has acquired a reputation of being a potentially invasive plant. Here is another plant in my series on Nutraceuticals meaning the combination of "nutrition" and "pharmaceutical". The longer leaves and red fruit with tiny speckles, are easy to spot. Autumn olives are fast collecting fans for the fruit's sweet-tart taste and potential health benefits, even as the plant is frowned upon throughout the Northeast as a habitat-killer. The leaves are a grayish green and looks as though it … The most common fact you will read about autumn olive is that it contains 5 to 15 times more antioxidant lycopene than in tomatoes. Not only is the fruit abundant and easy to find, the tree is an invasive species that is being actively removed from our landscape. The recommended intake to have the health benefits of olive leaves tea is three cups of tea daily. Thoughts? But, the cut stump … Removing the seeds from production is a service. What is the Autumn olive tree? Honeysuckle leaves are much more green and soft; be sure not to confuse the berries as most honeysuckle berries are toxic. Your email address will not be published. The autumn olive tree is a member of the Oleaster family of plants, and is native to Asia including the Himalayan region, Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, northern China and Japan. Autumn olive benefits the land. I was doing a bioassessment for the Huron River Watershed Council. Autumn Olive is loaded with vitamins and minerals including sugars, proteins, Vitamins A, C, and E, flavanoids, and others. Like many other wild edibles it also is being studied as a treatment to halt or reverse the progress of cancer. This fall try to notice the abundant red berries, and year after year you will have a great supply of Autumn Olives for pies, jam, and fruit leather. The fruit must be fully ripe before it can be enjoyed raw, if even slightly under-ripe it will be quite astringent. The Autumn olive’s sour taste highlights many health benefits within the berry. Like many other wild edibles it also is being studied as a treatment to halt or reverse the progress of cancer. However, even though it provides benefits the commercial growth/distribution and in turn the spread to native lands severely compromises native ecosystems. Also note that the berries turn from tan to red and ripen in fall. You can use this federal website for a full description. Autumn olive jam is my favorite recipe, as it mellows out any lingering astringency and tartness and makes a gorgeous bright pink jam. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy, © 2013 MLive Media Group All rights reserved (About Us). Lycopene has been associated with prevention of some chronic diseases, including prostate cancer. Could that be partly why it is being renamed? It was introduced in the 1930s and promoted in the 1950s as a great food for wildlife. Hence we offer you with that information. Autumn Olive’s abundant fruit production, ability to propagate in many soil types, and avian seed dispersal allowed the plant to grow so densely that is shaded out native species. See our privacy policy for more information about ads on this site. The first is that the leaves have a distinctly lighter colored underside. I strongly agree with the advice contained here to NOT replant it. There is great value in many of the wild (and escaped) plants around us. For the latest breaking news and updates in Ann Arbor and the surrounding area, see. And also because the boiling process kills the seeds, preventing propagation of this invasive plant. Autumn-Olive (elaegnus umbellate) also known as Autumn-Berry, is a deciduous shrub that can grow into a small multi-trunked tree reaching as high as 20 feet. Well written and important material - keep it up. Not a native plant but invasive, it grows all over disturbed areas. AUTUMN OLIVE: MEDICINAL BENEFITS AND USES OF AUTUMN OLIVE AUTUMN OLIVE, ELAEAGNUS UMBELLATA. Read our article focusing on autumn olive for more information. For me,blogging is a strange experience of putting myself out there and hoping someone gets it. I spent much of the morning and part of the afternoon visiting a nearby plot of land that is being privately used for a wildlife preserve. This “nuisance” can actually revive the ecosystem by inserting key nutrients back into the soil. Impressive. Autumn olive is a deciduous shrub or small tree growing up to 6 m (20 ft) in height and 9 m (30 ft) in width. We also saw evidence of a buck ripping up branches of the Autumn Olive. There are many other plants in the genus Elaeagnus worldwide and many facts in this article apply to a number of them also. WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO DO AN EMAIL INTERVIEW? The berries contain high amounts of carotenoids and lycopene, a bit higher than tomatoes, which studies have shown to help prevent prostate cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer, and fight myocardial infarction. This article provide information on Autumn Olive Tree Facts and Propagation. Need more evidence? It's interesting that the berries have very good nutritional properties. It was commonly planted for wildlife food and cover. Required fields are marked *, Autumn Olive, A Common Invasive Edible Fruit. Although I eat them raw, many people would find them too tart. Health Benefits of Autumn Olive Maturing in September or October, Autumn Berries are a significant source of lycopene. The species is indigenous to eastern Asia and ranges from the Himalayas eastwards to Japan.It is a hardy, aggressive invasive species able to readily colonize barren land, becoming a troublesome plant in the central and northeastern United States and Europe. ), XXVI International Horticultural Congress: Berry Crop Breeding, Production and Utilization for a New Century (Acta Horticulturae No. Elaeagnus umbellata is known as Japanese silverberry, umbellata oleaster, autumn olive, autumn elaeagnus, or spreading oleaster. Names of Autumn Olive in various languages of the world are also given. Autumn Olive Tree Facts and Propagation. Here is an idea...hopefully this is an appropriate forum...edible landscaping is so uncommon today; it would be nice if it could be encouraged somehow. 626, pp. Autumn olive: a potential alternative crop In: J. Maas (Ed. Autumn Olive has a high fatty acid content which is not common in fruits. 429-431). The Autumn Olive tree. Along with the benefits, Russian Olive and Autumn Olive medicinal uses are also important. Lemongrass: When life gives you lemongrass make tea! A simple abundant fruit, such as autumn olive Elaeagnus umbellata berries just don’t have much chance for fame. Precautions in Consuming Olive Leaves Tea. The lycopene content of autumn olive fruit averages about 40 to 50 mg/100g, compared to 3 mg/100g for fresh raw tomato. Leuven, Belgium: International Society for Horticultural Science. It is a great food for wildlife, and people, but it produces so much fruit that birds carry the seeds all over the central and eastern part of the country, and it grows so dense and in so many soil types that is shades out native species. It can reach 12-15 feet in height. So, my opinion is it needs to be removed from the garden or yard whenever you see it starting to grow. Chemical control is the most effective method for controlling autumn olive. They make very good preserves like autumn olive fruit leather and jam. These fruits are super-powered sources of lycopene which helps keep the old prostate healthy, and is a potent anti-oxidant. Edible parts of Autumn Olive: Fruit - raw or cooked. Upcoming classes include a FREE introduction to medicinal plants and foraging this Thursday from 7-9:30 p.m. at Crazy Wisdom Bookstore, sponsored by The People’s Food Co-op. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of MLive Media Group, You are viewing this article in the AnnArbor.com archives. Consumers are used to spending money on what is promoted, while this free and abundant treasure goes almost unnoticed. Native to Asia, Eleagnus umbellata goes by the common names of autumn olive and, more generously, “autumn berry”. I also appreciate the comments emphasizing how invasive autumn olive is. Now of course… this information goes against everything we’ve ever been told about autumn olive, and if you’re unfamiliar with this plant, here’s a brief backstory. And if they were to become more known for their food value, it would help to contain them somewhat. I don't know. They sometimes grow extremely abundantly. AA.com - This is possibly the very best local contributor feature you have! The berries are ripe now. Autumn olive is well established across the Mid-Atlantic due to its extensive intentional planting to provide wildlife food and revegetate mine spoils in the mid-1900s. Key ID Features What can you do with the fruit? Seriously. Though the berries themselves are small (approximately the size of a red currant), the trees on which they grow are a giant problem. If we rely on marketers to point out what is of value, we’ll miss much of the natural world and its intrinsic benefits. I appreciate your catching it. LIKED YOUR ARTICLE ON AUTUMN OLIVE, I AM DOING A PROJECT ON INVASIVE SPECIES FOR MY ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE CLASS. A longer term project...local plant vendors might be encouraged to stock a better selection, concurrent with some favorable press on the topic, perhaps with some city encouragement via talk and perhaps small financial or social incentives. While this shrub does produce huge amounts of berries eaten by birds and mammals and can thrive on reclaimed mine sites, where pH extremes and high levels of toxic heavy metals are common, these positives do not outweigh the negatives associated with this shrub’s ability to invade and take over natural areas. Pre-registration is suggested, but not required. Autumn Olive has a high fatty acid content which is not common in fruits. Autumn olive makes great jam or fruit leather, and the pulp can be added to desserts and baked goods for a nutritional - and colorful - boost. At Sugar Creek Farm, where we took a class last spring, farmer Joe Allawos has experimented with the benefits of the nitrogen fixing capacity of autumn olive trees by planting fruit and nut trees next to autumn olive trees, and at the same time planting the same variety of tree in a spot away from any autumn olive trees. Reinforcement like yours goes a long way. Many times people are unaware of the medicinal uses of any plant. The second is that the leaves and fruit are covered in tiny silver dots if you look closely. Autumn olive berries have 17 times more lycopene than tomatoes! One of the first trees to bloom in spring, the blossoms help feed winter-starved bees and pollinators. In addition to a blend of vitamins and minerals , autumn olive berry is found to have extraordinarily high levels of lycopene. Eat it out of hand, keep in mind that each seed in the berry can grow a whole new invasive plant. The USDA Website claims that the analysis of autumn olive was a chance discovery. A few years ago I contacted a researcher who was working with Autumn Olive for food uses to see if there were any concerns about eating the seeds. Linda Diane Feldt is a local Holistic Health Practitioner, teacher, writer, and blogger. Health benefits of the autumn olive. While I was able to eat handfuls of the berries, the number of trees has been increasing rapidly and taking over some of the areas intended for native grass. We've grown Autumn Olive for 30 years and in all that time have observed two volunteer plants. Thanks Linda. Sure. enabling more people to just eat what is there is a simple connection to nature. They are best used for recipes like pie. The leaves have a dintinctive silver underside. Considered an invasive, it is also a contributor this time of year with its tasty, colorful, nutrient rich berries. This reduces the diversity of plant and insect species that wildlife needs to flourish. The only part of the plant known to be edible is the red berries. Autumn Olive is loaded with vitamins and minerals including sugars, proteins, Vitamins A, C, and E, flavanoids, and others. The seed benefits from a period of cold treatment but even without it, germination rates of over 70 percent have been documented. But besides lycopene autumn berries is also a source of vitamin C (around 28mg/100g), as well as other vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals. Elaeagnus umbellata usually grows as a shrub with a widely spreading crown. List of various diseases cured by Autumn Olive. The only place it wouldn’t grow was in wet areas or deep shade. Uses, Benefits, Cures, Side Effects, Nutrients in Autumn Olive. 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Same with garlic mustard. feel free to email me anytime at eattheplanet.org@gmail.com. This tree or bush bears edible fruit and is a nitrogen fixer. Russian Olive and Autumn Olive Medicinal Use. And let’s fight it in ways that make sense. I've made the correction in the post, and will try and figure out how I made the original error. It is a very healthy fruit to consume. It’s one of the first plants to start shading out grass in places where trees have been cleared and the open land is changing back into forest. The ripe berries from mature trees make awesome jelly for the pantry. But autumn olive berry is prized for more than just its tart flavor: in recent years, nutritional scientists have discovered that the plant has some unique health benefits. Autumn Olives, aka Autumn Berries, are a small sweet tart round red berry that grows on deciduous trees. expensive tools!) Health Benefits. Autumn berries, also known as the autumn olive, are the small red fruit of the autumn olive tree (Elaeagnus umbellata), which was imported from Asia to North America as an ornamental tree in the 1830s. Perhaps it could be cultivated in a controlled way to harvest the berries. Agreed. “The red berries of autumn olive have a high carotenoid content,” writes Fordham, “and particularly high levels of lycopene (30-70 mg/100g). But the ethical action then is to remove and safely discard the seeds and don't contribute to the spread of the plant in any way. To make the jam, we first pick through the berries to remove any leaves, sticks, or bugs, then heat the berries gently and simmer until soft. Coolariffic! How Autumn Olive is effective for various diseases is listed in repertory format. Wild foods are seldom studied or promoted for nutritional and medicinal value. Autumn Olive, as pointed out, is a highly invasive, non-native plant. Thank you for your support Dee Dee. So it is actually impressive that we know so much about the benefits of the autumn olive berry. Autumn Olive is a great fall foraging plant. In our profit driven culture, if there isn’t a payoff, great herbs and weeds are passed over for the ones that give dramatic results, or that can be patented or trademarked in special formulas. Like other invasive s… Before it was labeled a noxious weed, autumn olive was often described as “fragrant” in flower, and as “stunning” in fall, with its bright red berries against its silvery foliage. A colleague did the analysis on what sounds like a combination of observation, a guess and a whim. Not only is the fruit abundant and easy to find, the tree is an invasive species that is being actively removed from our landscape. Here is a plant that is both a treasure and a bane. Its form is rounded, with dense branches. The autumn olive bush produces little fruits, or berries, each one containing a seed. There are places in the US where autumn olive is considered a "dangerous" invasive, and there will be further restrictions on use and transport. Among the health benefits of olive leaves tea, you should also aware of its possible side effect. The berries will persist through the winter, although you will have stiff competition from a whole variety of birds and hungry animals. The fruit leather and jam in my opinion is top quality and taste, just as good if not better then common flavors like grape and strawberry. The fruit freezes well, although it is a bit mushier when thawed. Autumn olive is a great edible wild berry for jam, because it’s nice and tart. A horticulturist with the USDA Research Service tried them for personal use, and noted the red pigment. You can follow her on twitter, visit her website, or contact her directly ldfeldt(at)holisticwisdom.org Your email address will not be published. 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This shrub is native to Asia and was introduced into the U.S. in the 1830's. With cold treat- Now also being called Autumnberry, this is a nutrient-rich plant, with components known to help prevent cancer and heart disease. Instead of continually fighting a useless war against it, let’s embrace the benefits that this plant has to offer. Autumn Olive is a deciduous shrub that can grow quite tall. And yet we persist in importing the exotic and expensive fruit drinks and pills that are heavily advertised and commercialized, often by multi-level marketing. Autumn Olive may be hated, and maybe some of that hatred is warranted, but the reality is that this plant is here now, and probably here to stay. If autumn olive is now put into commercial production as a food source there will be an interesting ethical dilemma. Conservation districts saw the benefits of autumn olive. The land owner wants it out, but it seems to be a losing battle. Numerous techniques exist for applying herbicides. Thank you for the correction, Marvin. Autumn olive trees are nitrogen fixers. The autumn olive shrub is easy to identify when it is in flower or once the fruits have matured. Certainly a partial solution is to eat as many berries as possible, don’t replant it, and let it help you to be healthier. Juicy and pleasantly acid, they are tasty raw and can also be made into jams, preserves etc. Biology. "Well written and important material - keep it up." Autumn olive propagates primarily by seeds but can sprout vegetatively, so mowing or cutting can cause a … There are 2 key ID features to look for. Linda Diane will also be doing a “Weed Walk” Sunday from 1-3 p.m. Register with her before Wednesday;' there is a small fee for that class. The ripe berries are very tart and sweet. Autumn olive is very high in lycopene, a carotenoid with many potential health benefits. In a time when most people know nothing about where there food comes from,and even a growing a garden seems to be just another opportunity for consumption (designer garden gloves! Olive leaves tea is … A website covering research for prostate cancer notes ”The berries also contain high levels of vitamins A, C and E, and flavonoids and essential fatty acids.". The fruit contains about 8.3% sugars, 4.5% protein, 1% ash. In this area, “Autumn-olive is a many-branched, deciduous shrub or shrubby tree, growing 10 to16 feet (3-5 meters) tall." They contain an estimated 18 times more lycopene than tomatoes , an antioxidant celebrated for its anti-cancer benefits and role in prostate health. It grows in a range of habitats, including forest edges, savannas, pastures, and prairies. thanks. Birds love the berries, but the big problem is that unchecked, the plant completely takes over areas and crowds out all native plants. Even if you allow only 1 or 2 shrubs to grow, the birds will eat the berries and spread the seeds all over the area. Now for the health benefits of autumn olive berries. It served as wildlife cover and food, windbreaks, highway barriers and soil stabilizers. Autumn Olive (Elaeagnus umbellata) is an invasive shrub in central and eastern United States. It is a little sour, with some trees being sweeter than others, and it does sweeten as it matures. A simple abundant fruit, such as autumn olive Elaeagnus umbellata berries just don’t have much chance for fame. More, and more frequent articles would be excellent. Why trash tons of it when it is a fabulous edible? It was painfully obvious that Autumn Olive is a big problem getting worse on this bit of land. Autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata) is a deciduous shrub native to Asia that has spread as an invasive species throughout the United States.Introduced in 1830 as an ornamental plant that could provide habitat and food to wildlife, Autumn olive was widely planted by the Soil Conservation Service as erosion control near roads and on ridges. It was drought, disease and insect resistant. Autumn olive is a shrub or small tree that has distinctively silvery leaves. The lycopene content in Autumn olive is even higher than that of tomatoes.
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