Great Goumi Berry

There was a sad little goumi berry (Elaeagnus multiflora) bush, root bound and sitting in the corner of a nursery I go to at the end of every season to nab huge discount deals.  I’ve never eaten a goumi berry before, but it seemed interesting and I’m making a “food forest” so hey, why not try it? It was less than ten bucks so worst case is that I don’t plant any more, right?

The taste profile is said to be anywhere from astringent to tart to sweet, so I have no clue what to expect with it. Of course, it needs to be fully ripe to be enjoyed, but apparently you can make jams at any time with it.

It rewarded me with these amazing little flowers this spring–and when I went in the garden, I tried to figure out where this mix of heady orange and jasmine fragrance came from–turns out the little flowers back an olfactory punch. I’ll update when the fruits come in so we can put this to rest.

Hardy to zone 4, it really is quite an attractive bush. It does well in poor soil, sun or partial shade, and even near the salty sea spray. It’s a nitrogen fixer, so it adds nitrogen into the soil (which is why it does fine in poor soils) so it’s a great companion plant, boosting all the things around it.