Photo Credit: Plant Conservation Alliance/ Alien Plant Working Group

Russian olive is a shrub or tree.

• Grows typically an average of 15 feet in height with one to two inch woody thorns on the shiny, reddish-green branches and trunks.
• Leaves are alternate, lanceolate (lance-shaped, much longer than wide) shaped, silvery in color and scaly on the underside of the leaves.
• Inflorescence (flowering part of the plant) is clusters of small, fragrant, yellow, four lobed petals.
• Fruit are “olives,” one fourth of an inch in diameter, silvery and oval.

Russian olive is a native to Southern Europe and Western Asia. It is considered to be an invasive species in North America. It can be found as ornamentals in gardens, dry low laying pastures, meadows, and tolerant of alkali to moderately saline soils.

It is a good source of protection for wildlife and birds and some small mammals feed on the fruit. Viable seeds pass through the digestive tracts of the animals, thus enhancing the spread of the tree.

For a complete Refuge species list

For in-depth plant information
connect with the U.S. Dept Agriculture Plant Data Base

Last Updated: 2/9/09

Plants that do not grow naturally on this short grass prairie are called "invasive species."

INFORMATION from US Fish & Wildlife

INFORMATION from USGS

ANNUAL RYE
CANADA THISTLE
CHEAT GRASS
FIELD BINDWEED
KOCHIA
COMMON MULLEIN
MUSK THISTLE
RUSSIAN KNAPWEED
RUSSIAN OLIVE
RUSSIAN THISTLE

VOLUNTEER WEED MAPPING
PROGRAM