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shrub layer
russian olive
elaeagnus angustifolia
silver-leaved and thorny, it fixes nitrogen at the root and shrugs off drought and salt — a pioneer windbreak whose fragrant flowers draw bees and whose berries feed birds.
functions
nitrogen fixerwindbreakwildlife habitat
light
full sun
moisture
dry
soil
poor, sandy, even saline
season
open the calendar →j
f
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grower's notes
memberspropagation, guild role, and deeper ecology for russian olive — the members' view.
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relationships — grows well with
sea buckthornhippophae rhamnoides→autumn oliveelaeagnus umbellata→black locustrobinia pseudoacacia→comfrey (bocking 14)symphytum × uplandicum→
see russian olive on the relationship map →the takeaway
start a guild around russian olive
plant these together and the relationships on this page start working for you — feeders, protectors, and cover, layer by layer.
- shrub
- russian olive — the anchor
- canopy
- black locust
- herbaceous
- comfrey (bocking 14)