oleaster

tree

Also known as: Elaeagnus angustifolia, Russian olive, trebizond date

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Article History

Also called:: Russian olive, or trebizond date (species Elaeagnus angustifolia)

Related Topics:: fruit; deciduous tree

See all related content

oleaster, small deciduous tree of Eurasia, about 4.5 to 6 m (15 to 20 feet) high. It has smooth, dark brown branches that often bear spines and narrow, light green leaves that are silvery on the undersides from a covering of minute scales. The flowers are small, greenish, fragrant, and silvery-scaled on the outside, as are the edible, olive-shaped, yellowish fruits, which are sweet but mealy. The oleaster is hardy, wind resistant, tolerant of poor, dry sites, and thus useful in windbreak hedges, but it is also widely used in ornamental hedges.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica