Goumi (Elaeagnus multiflora)
Goumi is an attractive nitrogen-fixing shrub native to the Russian Far East, China, and Japan, valued for its ornamental beauty, productive harvests, and soil-enriching properties. This multi-functional plant reaches 6-8 feet tall with dark green leaves featuring striking silvery undersides that shimmer in the breeze, creating year-round visual interest. Fragrant yellow flowers appear in spring, providing excellent early-season forage for bees and beneficial insects, followed by abundant crops of ¾-inch elongated red fruits with silvery speckles.
The sweet-tart berries are delicious fresh off the bush and make exceptional jams, sauces, and pies, while also holding traditional medicinal value for digestive health and as a general tonic in Asian herbal medicine. As a nitrogen-fixing plant in the Elaeagnus family, goumi improves soil fertility while producing food, making it a cornerstone species for permaculture guilds and food forests.
Remarkably easy to grow and adaptable to a wide range of soil conditions including poor or dry sites, goumi is partially self-fertile though yields improve with multiple plants. Hardy across USDA Zones 4-8, this resilient shrub combines edible productivity with ecological benefits for sustainable landscapes.
Goumi (Elaeagnus multiflora)
Goumi is an attractive nitrogen-fixing shrub native to the Russian Far East, China, and Japan, valued for its ornamental beauty, productive harvests, and soil-enriching properties. This multi-functional plant reaches 6-8 feet tall with dark green leaves featuring striking silvery undersides that shimmer in the breeze, creating year-round visual interest. Fragrant yellow flowers appear in spring, providing excellent early-season forage for bees and beneficial insects, followed by abundant crops of ¾-inch elongated red fruits with silvery speckles.
The sweet-tart berries are delicious fresh off the bush and make exceptional jams, sauces, and pies, while also holding traditional medicinal value for digestive health and as a general tonic in Asian herbal medicine. As a nitrogen-fixing plant in the Elaeagnus family, goumi improves soil fertility while producing food, making it a cornerstone species for permaculture guilds and food forests.
Remarkably easy to grow and adaptable to a wide range of soil conditions including poor or dry sites, goumi is partially self-fertile though yields improve with multiple plants. Hardy across USDA Zones 4-8, this resilient shrub combines edible productivity with ecological benefits for sustainable landscapes.
