Elaeagnus conferta
| Eastern silverberry (Elaeagnus conferta) | |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Elaeagnus conferta[1] |
| Common names | Eastern silverberry; nhót dại; 羊奶果[2] |
| Genus | Elaeagnus |
| Family | Elaeagnaceae |
| Order | Rosales |
| Habit | Evergreen, straggling shrub that may climb into other vegetation[3] |
| Native range | Southern China, the Indian subcontinent, and Southeast Asia[4] |
| Ripe fruit | Orange-red, juicy, and acidic; up to about 4 cm long and 2 cm wide[3] |
Elaeagnus conferta is an evergreen silverberry with a scrambling habit. It occurs in dense forest habitats from low elevations to montane sites, and can climb into surrounding vegetation.[3] GBIF currently accepts the binomial as a species in Elaeagnaceae; some treatments have not separated it consistently from Elaeagnus latifolia and Elaeagnus triflora, so names should be checked when comparing older literature or nursery material.[1][3]
Description[edit | edit source]
The plant is a straggling shrub rather than a self-supporting orchard tree. In its native range it is associated with dense forest, including sites reported from sea level to about 2,100 m in China and from roughly 400 to 2,000 m in Malaysia.[3] This range describes recorded habitat, not a tested hardiness limit.
Cultivation[edit | edit source]
Soil and water[edit | edit source]
Use a well-drained soil. The species has been reported in moderately fertile, poor, and dry soils, but those observations do not establish a universal drought tolerance or a watering schedule.[3] The same account describes actinorhizal root nodules; avoid saturated media even where the plant is being grown in a rich, moisture-retentive mix.[3]
Sun and humidity[edit | edit source]
Dense-forest habitat suggests that bright filtered light and good atmospheric humidity are a cautious starting point. This is habitat-based guidance rather than a measured species light requirement; provide airflow around a scrambling plant trained into a support.[3]
Seasonal changes[edit | edit source]
The plant is evergreen. A conservative cultivation interpretation is to keep drainage reliable during wet weather and to avoid prolonged severe drying during active growth, while recognizing that reports of performance in dry soils do not define a fixed seasonal irrigation interval.[3]
Propagation[edit | edit source]
Fresh seed is the most direct starting material. Stored seed may germinate slowly; the practical account also lists half-ripe or mature heel cuttings and layering as alternatives.[3] Cuttings may root slowly, while layering is reported to take about 12 months. Those timings are qualified horticultural reports rather than species-wide success guarantees, so keep layered stems attached until roots are well developed.[3]
Flowering, fruiting, and harvest[edit | edit source]
The flowers are described as scented. Ripe fruit is orange-red, juicy, and acidic, and may reach about 4 cm in length and 2 cm in width.[3] No reliable flowering calendar, bearing age, or yield range is established here; harvest should therefore be based on fruit color and texture rather than a fixed date.
Fruit and uses[edit | edit source]
The ripe fruit is eaten fresh, commonly with sugar, and is also used in sweet drinks.[3] A 2025 laboratory study analyzed fruit from three varieties in subtropical southwest China and reported phenolic acids, flavonoids, and a gallic-acid derivative; antioxidant and cell-assay results from extracts do not establish human health benefits or a medicinal use.[5]