Elaeagnus latifolia

So-shang fruits, whole and cut; the Commons file description includes a 1-yuan coin for scale.
So-shang (Elaeagnus latifolia)
Scientific name	Elaeagnus latifolia
Common names	So-shang, Soh-shang, bastard oleaster
Genus	Elaeagnus
Family	Elaeagnaceae
Order	Rosales
Native range	Southern India, Sri Lanka, Nepal to Indochina
Growth form	Scrambling shrub or small tree; leaf persistence is described inconsistently in secondary horticultural sources
Climate and site	Seasonally dry tropical biome; warm subtropical to tropical highland sites
Mature height	Up to about 3 m reported; habit may be spreading or scrambling
Soil	Well-drained soil; poor or dry soils are tolerated in cultivation, but habitat reports also include swamps
Sun and humidity	Sunny position; woodland-edge and dappled-shade habitat also reported
Propagation	Fresh seed; cuttings are reported but may root slowly
Germination	Fresh seed preferred; stored seed may be slow and variable
Years to fruit	About 2 years reported in one regional account; highly variable
Pollination	Hermaphroditic flowers and bee pollination reported in a secondary horticultural summary
Fruit	Acidic, astringent when under-ripe; reported 24–39 mm long by 10–30 mm wide, with one large seed
Harvest	N/A; season varies by region and plant

So-shang (Elaeagnus latifolia Lour.; also Soh-shang and bastard oleaster) is a fruiting Elaeagnaceae shrub or small tree native to South and Southeast Asia. It is gathered and cultivated locally for its acidic, astringent fruit, which must be fully ripe for fresh eating.^[1][2]

Description

Elaeagnus latifolia is described by Kew as a scrambling shrub or tree of the seasonally dry tropical biome. Useful Tropical Plants describes a much-branched, spreading shrub up to about 3 m, often with thorny stems. Secondary sources disagree over whether the foliage should be called evergreen or deciduous, so leaf persistence is left open here rather than presented as a settled diagnostic character.[1][2]^[3]

The fruit is an oblong, red to orange drupe-like structure. A regional account summarized by Useful Tropical Plants gives a reported range of 24–39 mm in length and 10–30 mm in width, with one large seed. These are reported ranges, not a universal measurement for every population or selection.[2]

Cultivation

So-shang foliage and pale flower clusters photographed in India; Dinesh Valke.

So-shang occurs from southern India and Sri Lanka through Nepal and Indochina, with Kew placing it in a seasonally dry tropical biome. Useful Tropical Plants records both swamp habitat and forest openings at elevated Himalayan and Nepalese sites. For cultivation, that combination points to a plant that can use seasonal moisture but should not be kept in stagnant container or garden soil; select a warm site with good drainage and protect young plants from hard freezes.[1][2]

Soil and water

Useful Tropical Plants records swamps and forest openings in the native range, while horticultural summaries report success in well-drained, poor, dry, or moist soils. The practical interpretation is not that the plant requires either permanent wetness or severe drought: provide a freely draining root zone with organic matter and water during establishment, then adjust irrigation to the local wet and dry cycle. Avoid persistent saturation in containers or heavy ground.[2][3]

Sun and humidity

Plants For A Future reports a sunny position and lists woodland garden, sunny edge, and dappled shade as habitats. Use strong light for fruiting, with some afternoon protection where heat and dry wind are severe; maintain airflow in humid conditions rather than enclosing wet foliage.[3]

Seasonal changes

Kew places the species in a seasonally dry tropical biome, while the regional habitat records span warm lowland and cooler high-elevation sites. Flowering and ripening should therefore be treated as climate- and provenance-dependent rather than assigned one global calendar. Increase attention to irrigation during active warm-season growth and fruit development, but reduce watering during cool weather when the root zone dries slowly. Protect young plants during freezes; hardiness for fruiting plants in Arkansas or other marginal climates remains unverified here.[1][2]

Propagation

Fresh seed is the best-supported starting method in the available sources. Useful Tropical Plants reports that stored seed can be very slow and that germination may extend to 18 months; it also describes half-ripe or current-season cuttings and layering, but notes that cuttings may be slow and difficult to root. Treat those time ranges as source-specific propagation observations, not guarantees for every seed lot or clone.[2][3]

Flowering, fruiting, and harvest

A regional Soh-Shang account cited by Useful Tropical Plants reports fruiting at around two years and annual yields of 10–15 kg, but these figures are not established as universal seedling performance. The summary therefore keeps the two-year figure explicitly qualified and does not carry the yield claim as a general expectation. Harvest timing is N/A at species level because the available sources do not establish a dependable calendar across the range.[2]

Fruit and uses

The fruit is reported edible raw or cooked. It is acidic or somewhat astringent, and must be fully ripe for fresh eating; under-ripe fruit can be markedly astringent. Reported uses include preserves and pies, while local harvesting and domestic cultivation are documented in South Asian accounts. These culinary descriptions are source-backed fruit-use reports, not a claim that all plants have the same flavor or quality.[2][3]

Photos

References

• ↑ [1] Plants of the World Online: Elaeagnus latifolia, accessed 2026-08-24.

• ↑ [2] Useful Tropical Plants: Elaeagnus latifolia, accessed 2026-08-24.

• ↑ [3] Plants For A Future: Elaeagnus latifolia, accessed 2026-08-24.

Image credits

• Elaeagnus latifolia (bastard oleaster) 2.jpg — Shwabb1; CC BY-SA 2.0. The file description identifies whole and cut fruits and a 1-yuan coin for scale.
• Elaeagnus latifolia L. (50854831128).jpg — Dinesh Valke from Thane, India; CC BY-SA 2.0. The file is categorized as Elaeagnus latifolia; visual inspection shows foliage and pale flower clusters.
• Elaeagnus latifolia L. (50854831743).jpg — Dinesh Valke from Thane, India; CC BY-SA 2.0. The file is categorized as Elaeagnus latifolia; visual inspection shows foliage and flower clusters.
• Elaeagnus latifolia seeds, by Omar Hoftun.jpg — Omar hoftun; CC BY-SA 4.0. The Commons file description identifies the subject as seeds.