Goumi Berry

Eleagnus multiflora

Each year in late spring, goumi is covered with delicate, creamy yellow, bell-shaped flowers that perfume the whole garden - in midsummer, these 6' tall, full, deciduous bushes bear thousands of juicy, red, pleasingly tart fruits that taste like a pie cherries. While they are good for eating out of hand, (and have an edible pit to boot!) they are more typically made into sauces, pies, and jellies.

Plants have attractive leaves with silvery undersides, tolerate a wide range of soils, fix nitrogen and begin producing fruit in a year or two. An unusually adaptable plant, it will grow in full sun to full shade, 7' apart or 4' for a hedge. USDA Zones 6-9.