# Any uses for Autumn Olive?



## bhatleberg (Feb 28, 2017)

A relative recently bought a home on 70 acres in Virginia. It used to be part of a farm, but the last ten or so years were rough on the prior owner. The former pastures are largely grown in with scrub - cedar, junk species, and...tons of autumn olive. He's had the local ag extension out, so tree ID is correct.

I will be spending a week down there in the spring playing. I mean, helping clear it. 

Anyone ever do anything useful with the wood from this stuff? I would say most is roughly 8-10 feet tall, with multiple trunks that max at about 6". Can't find anything online.


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## JohnF (Feb 28, 2017)

Are you sure it wasn't Russian Olive? That's nice wood, but at only 6" diameter boles, it wouldn't be much more than sap wood.


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## barry richardson (Feb 28, 2017)

Never heard of anyone making things from it, check it out for us and let us know how it is. Here are some other names for it that might ring a bell with someone...._*Elaeagnus umbellata*_ is known as *Japanese silverberry*,[1] *umbellata oleaster*,[2] *autumn olive*,[1][3] *autumn elaeagnus*,[3] or *spreading oleaster*.


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## phinds (Feb 28, 2017)

My site shows one pic of a bowl made from it but it's nothing special.


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## bhatleberg (Feb 28, 2017)

Figured. Dang. Thanks for the replies - you never know what someone else will know.

Yes, definitely autumn and not Russian olive. 

I'll fool around with roots and stems a bit - if I can do anything interesting, I'll post it down the road.


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## phinds (Feb 28, 2017)

If you end up w/ any cutoffs, let me know. I'm a bit light on samples on the site.


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## gman2431 (Mar 1, 2017)

That stuff is horrible around here taking old pastures and so forth over also. Never messed with it tho.


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## bhatleberg (Mar 1, 2017)

Will do. It'll be a while, though.


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