Japanese name: アキグミ（秋茱萸、秋胡頽子） Scientific name:Elaeagnus umbellata var. umbellata
[Overview]
A deciduous shrub 2–3 m tall.
Young branches, petioles, flower stalks and the outside of the calyx are densely covered with silvery to pale reddish brown scales.
Thorn-like short shoots are produced.
Leaves are simple and alternate, elliptic, 4–8 cm long and 1–3 cm wide, and at first densely covered with silvery scales on the upper surface, which later fall off.
The underside has dense silvery scales, mixed with brown scales.
The leaf margin is entire.
The petiole is 0.5–1 cm long.
Flowers are borne in clusters of 1–3 in the leaf axils; they have no petals and are pale yellow, with a tubular calyx that is 4-lobed at the tip.
The fruit is a spherical false fruit 0.6–0.8 cm in diameter that ripens red.
The fruit stalk is short.
[Uses]
The fruit is edible and is sometimes also used medicinally.
[Cultivation]
Propagate by cuttings.
It prefers sunny, well-drained, fertile soil.
Avoid extremely dry places.
For potted plants, water thoroughly when the soil surface dries; for plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient unless summer brings a spell of sunny weather and the soil dries out.
Apply organic fertilizer around the plant as fertilizer in winter, and also place slow-release fertilizer on the soil in autumn.
There are no particular pests or diseases.
[Notes]
The Japanese name comes from the fruit ripening in autumn.
