Elaeagnus pungens aka Thorny Olive

Elaeagnus pungens, also known as thorny olive, spiny oleaster, and silverthorn, is a species of flowering plant in the Elaeagnaceae family. Native to Asia, including China and Japan, it has also been introduced as a landscaping and ornamental plant in the southeastern United States, where it can sometimes become invasive. This bushy evergreen shrub can grow up to 4m tall and has slightly spiny brown shoots. Its bright yellow leaves are elliptical in shape and are narrowly margined with dark green. The plant produces small, fragrant white flowers in autumn. Compared to the similar E. pungens 'Maculata', it is more upright and less likely to revert to green. The young branchlets of this shrub are covered in brown scales and typically have thorns. Its wavy-margined leaves are lustrous green on top and silvery-white with tiny brown scales below. In late fall, creamy white, bell-shaped flowers bloom in clusters. While not particularly showy, these flowers emit a strong fragrance reminiscent of gardenias. The plant also bears small, reddish-brown fruits in spring. The genus name, Elaeagnus, combines the Greek words elaia, meaning the olive tree, and agnos, meaning chaste-tree. The specific epithet, pungens, refers to the sharp thorny spines found on this species. In Virginia, Elaeagnus pungens is considered invasive.