Russian Olive
Elaegnus angustifolia 



An introduced and invasive shrub or small tree with a dense crown of low, silvery branches atop a crooked trunk, averaging 20 ft. tall.
This obnoxious, introduced weed was planted for land stabilization and as an ornamental. It is a nitrogen fixing plant.
 
BUDS: Speckled

TWIGS: Peltate scaly with brown and silver scales; long and slender; may end in a short spine

BARK: Thin and fissured; sheds in long strips; gray-brown

HABITAT: Wetlands--salty to alkaline soils; native of Southern Europe and Asia

 

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