Encountering a non-native shrub in a wild situation invariably kicks off the thought process of 'could this be the next Japanese Knotweed?'. After encountering Japanese Silver Berry
Elaeagnus umbellata, which was self-seeded and fruiting on sandy the soils of Margam Tip today, I was interested to read that this nitrogen-fixing shrub often grows vigorously and competitively in infertile soils and in parts of North America and is listed as a "prohibited noxious weed". Another one of an ever-growing list of ‘ones-to-watch'...
2 comments:
Glad you nailed it!
I presume it got there in bird droppings and has originated from some hideous amenity shrub planting scheme in the area. The berries contain loads of lycopene, the antioxidant that is found in tomatoes.
Other Elaeagnus species are more typical in planting schemes, but it's one I'll be keeping an eye out for. The silvery scales on the underside of the leaves and berries help identify the genus.
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