Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Autumn Olive

Autumn Olive Image-Cardinal Elaeagnus umbellata 1987.jpg Autumn olive is a small tree (or large shrub), growing 4-10 meters tall. The leaves are lanceolate, shiny green on the top with a silvery, powdery underside. The berries are about 6-7mm in diameter, bright red with speckles on them, growing in groups. They are very sweet. Native to eastern Asia from the Himalayas east to Japan. It was introduced to North America where it has become an invasive species. Fall When ripe, the fruit is juicy and edible. It can be eaten fresh or made into a jam. The fruit is small, extremely numerous, tart-tasting, and it has a chewable seed. It has been shown to have from 7 to 17 times the amount of the antioxidant lycopene that tomatoes have. Lycopene has been consistently shown to be useful in decreasing the risk of prostate cancer.