I am thinking of planting goumi. Is it too invasive to manage easily? My area (Denver metro) is covered by Russian olive trees, which I actually rather like, but most people do not. Will the government eventually pass a law agains goumi, and force us to cut it all down? Will it take over the neighborhood?
I've had a goumi for 10 years and haven't seen any evidence of it spreading. I live in the bluegrass region of Kentucky so don't know if that affects propagation. It is wonderfully productive and has a delicious fruit that I mix with blackberries that come in just a little after the goumi to make jelly. It has a seed that can't be pitted easily but you can heat the berry to extract juice then use a food press to separate the pits.
Autumn Olive is said to be invasive back east, with wet, rainy, humid summers. I have had it for 15 years and I have not seen it spread, and I have also read widely that it is not invasive in areas with dry summers. I have had goumi also for 15 years and I have never heard of it being invasive. Russian olive is most certainly invasive in the west. I've never heard of anyone growing it in the east.
John S
PDX OR
You might not see evidence of it spreading because the seeds are mainly dispersed by birds. Autumn olive is a rampant weed around here, I love them, but it would be a lie to pretend that birds will not eat some berries and that the seeds won't germinate. I've planted cultivated eleagnus, but only because it is already prevalent in the environment here and I am not concerned with introducing anything new.
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