My Goumi flowers, but isn't producing any fruit

My Goumi (Elaeagnus multiflora) has been growing for over 5 years, has bloomed profusely the last 2 years for sure, but I don't even see fruit forming, let alone get any ripe fruit.

Any idea what its problem might be? It lives in between two rhubarb plants which are steadily getting happier. PFAF claims it's hermaphrodite, which is what I would have thought also.

Ideas anyone?

Hello Jay.  I had one Goumi to start for several years and it did bloom fruitlessly.  After I added several more the first fruited and now I have two varieties.  I’ve noticed even hermaphroditic plants of same variety usually require pairs. Excellent bushes, full sun drought tolerant though water helps fruit early in June through July here in Puget Sound.   Scion roots well with hormone in many PNW soils and are 5$/per Burnt Ridge Nursery in Onalaska, Wa.  A bit of spring MgSO4 Epsom salt works wonders with a compost as water solvable chemicals leach totally out here West of the Cascades.  Lastly, this was where the snake tree tradition started on our farm as the birds love Goumi berries and may also be taking the few berries before ripe.  I have seen this, a real rarity as it’s just a pit to start with yet contains many truly magical bioflavonoids.  2-3 rubber snakes in the branches kept the birds from eating most of them before harvest otherwise, none.  Goumi berry, lingonberry, wild black berry jam is my favorite fruit preserve, absolute delicacy.  The bushes make excellent hedge row V shaped and thorns a cornerstone species of my food forest design.
Good  luck and Cheers.  

Goumi can be self-fertile but they produce better with cross-pollination. Do you have another goumi or a different Elaeagnus nearby? Also check the age, some take 3-5 years to fruit seriously. If it's blooming but not setting fruit, it could be a pollination issue. Try hand-pollinating with a small brush. Also check for late frosts. The flowers are sensitive. If they get hit, no frui

seconding the need for another plant. even the supposedly self-fertile Elaeagnus really do seem to want a pollinator nearby. five years of good flowers with nothing is a long time, but adding a second goumi should sort it pretty quick.

Henry Moore wrote:... Do you have another goumi or a different Elaeagnus nearby?

I have an E umbellatus, but it's in harsh conditions and I don't think it's bloomed yet. I finally put some deer protection around it, which has helped. However, the neighbors have a good size E umbellatus which has bloomed and produced fruit for a long time.

I did try a little bit of hand pollinating, but next year I will try to be more serious about it.

Henry wrote:

Also check for late frosts. The flowers are sensitive. If they get hit, no fruit.

This could easily be a problem. Certainly we didn't have many if any bees about when it bloomed this spring, and a number of early bloomers did poorly this year.

I admit that I mostly planted it for its nitrogen fixing capability (hence why it lives between 2 rhubarb plants which are heavy feeders!) However, I have never event tasted the fruit and was hoping to before putting more work into getting it a friend!

I think the best plan may be to hand pollinate next spring, and then make sure I protect it if the weather is iffy.