# Russian Olive TreeWood



## Tagwatts (Apr 11, 2012)

I am not sure if anyone has tried to use the wood from a Russian Olive Tree. Here, we call it a nasty trash tree. Sometimes the trees grow up to be only a nasty bush. At other times, it grows like a real tree and has a large trunk and large branches. Can't kill them with dynamite. When they are in bloom, they smell terrible. Long story short. Today I saw wood from one of those nasty trees. The wood is beautiful. It was of a greenish color. It cannot be ripped or cross cut to get the color. It has to be cut length wise at angle as it is cut and then this color shows up.

Oh, and it is harder than the hubs of hell. They demonstrated a cut and then used a drill to work with it. It is hard. 

I was just curious if anyone else and I am sure there must be others who have seen and used this wood. I tried to get a picture of it today, but my phone camera did not take a decent picture. I will try and get a picture and see if I can figure out how to post a picture. Thanks for reading


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## Multiwood (Feb 24, 2013)

Where does Russian Olive trees grow Frank?


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## TwoSkies57 (Feb 23, 2009)

from Denverwoodslabs.com


http://www.denverwoodslabs.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/IMG_1109-818x1024.jpg


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## stanzee (Dec 9, 2010)

It grows in North Dakota I know. Have not seen any milled or worked.


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## Multiwood (Feb 24, 2013)

That is some pretty wood Bill. Looks a little like Walnut little lighter in color.


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## Multiwood (Feb 24, 2013)

Just read where is is considered a noxious weed in Wyoming.


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## belaire445 (Oct 21, 2012)

*Russian Olive*

It's also a nasty wood in new Jersey. Can't cut them down fast enough. They're all over the place. The worst part is that some Landscape places sell them.


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## furboo (Oct 12, 2015)

Definitely a weed in New Mexico. The only tree that's worse around here are Siberian Elms.


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## sunnybob (Apr 3, 2015)

from wikipedia;
Elaeagnus angustifolia was described as Zizyphus cappadocica by John Gerard, and was grown by John Parkinson by 1633,[4] and was also grown in Germany in 1736. It is now widely grown across southern and central Europe as a drought-resistant ornamental plant for its scented flowers, edible fruit, attractive yellow foliage, and black bark.
The species was introduced into North America in the late 19th century, and subsequently escaped cultivation, because its fruits, which seldom ripen in England,[5] are relished by birds which disperse the seeds. Russian olive is considered to be an invasive species in many places in the United States because it thrives on poor soil, has low seedling mortality rates, matures in a few years, and outcompetes wild native vegetation. It often invades riparian habitats where overstory cottonwoods have died.


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## thomas1389 (Jan 4, 2012)

belaire445 said:


> It's also a nasty wood in new Jersey. Can't cut them down fast enough. They're all over the place. The worst part is that some Landscape places sell them.


Yes , quite popular here. Garden centres sell them routinely. Seen regularly as ornamentals in gardens. Very large thorns and wicked to be around. Some as near trees and some as overgrown shrubs.


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## OPG3 (Jan 9, 2011)

When Joy and I moved here, we had this "bush" that nobody was able to recognize. It was about 5' tall and about 10' wide. It was in an okay place to be left alone. We've been here almost 13 years. Now, it is about 20' tall and 35-40' wide and continuing to be in an okay location. A couple of years ago, the head Botanist from Emory University came out to the house to see the reptile collection. It was very nice weather, so I asked if he would identify the plant. He said it is a Russian Olive. He said "I hope you don't need to kill it - because they're what botanists consider "permanent plants" once they are established!".
He also said that if roads are cut on hillsides and there needs to be something added for erosion control - they're a great choice. I can also say that I've never noticed any bad odors from it. The fruits are highly sought after by our local birds and it is also a choice nesting area for numerous bird species.

Otis Guillebeau from Auburn, Georgia


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

furboo said:


> Definitely a weed in New Mexico. The only tree that's worse around here are Siberian Elms.


I have Siberian elms that I planted around the border of my property. I had a large (for my trees) fork break off 2 winters ago so I thought I would see what the wood looked like and it has a beautiful red color and fairly nice grain. Other so called weeds I've found that have beautiful wood in them is Hawthorne and Douglas Maple. The Douglas maple won't make boards but it does make very nice turnings and for some reason the turnings are dimensionally stable even though the boards are not. If I can get a 2 x 2 out of something I'll usually give it a try now because you never know what it will look like until you try it.


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## denniswoody (Dec 11, 2011)

When we bought our first home the builder planted a Russian Olive beside the house. The fragrance from the flowers was overpowering and I had to cut it down.


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

The other thing about E. _augustifolia_ is that it's highly tolerant of salt; think of beach erosion control and beach windbreaks.
Quite popular here in the coastal Pacific Northwest.


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## Tagwatts (Apr 11, 2012)

This is some beautiful as I stated. I had not seen it cut before. You can't hardly burn it as the smell is so bad. I was certain others had seen and new of the tree. This was my first experience to find any value for it. 

They have a lot of the same characteristics as a weed known as Morning Glory. Not much good for anything, but they will take over everything on the ground. become a matted ground cover. Some of the roots of this weed lay dormant for many years, and the roots have been known to go 18 ft. deep. 

The tree much the same way, if not kept in check will overtake the whole of the area it is in. Seeds lay dormant till the right conditions happen. I am not sure how the name for either of these came about.


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

You should try Staghorn Sumac!
Plant Database
The article says it 'colonizes'....that's a polite word for taking over.
(Note: the Staghorn variety in NOT poisonous and shouldn't be confused with the poisonous varieties.)


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

DaninVan said:


> The other thing about E. _augustifolia_ is that it's highly tolerant of salt; think of beach erosion control and beach windbreaks.
> Quite popular here in the coastal Pacific Northwest.


Never heard of it ,Dan, is it called something else?

Cottonwood is the one here taking over the world.

So if you cross a Douglas Fir with a Maple , you get a Douglas Maple?:laugh2::laugh2:
Herb


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## Gene Howe (Jul 10, 2007)

In some states, it's illegal to plant Russian Olive trees. Something to do with allergies/asthmatics.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Herb Stoops said:


> Never heard of it ,Dan, is it called something else?
> 
> Cottonwood is the one here taking over the world.
> 
> ...


Might have been the same guy that discovered both.:laugh2:


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

Cherryville Chuck said:


> Might have been the same guy that discovered both.:laugh2:


Yup, you right, checked it out on Wipedia.
Herb


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## TwoSkies57 (Feb 23, 2009)

Alot of sumac around here, and once they take hold, it takes an act of GOD to get rid of em...........


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Herb Stoops said:


> Never heard of it ,Dan, is it called something else?
> 
> Cottonwood is the one here taking over the world.
> 
> ...


Hey, Herb; It's the botanical name for Russian Olive (Bob mentioned it in his comment...Eleagnus is the species, _augustifolia_ is the variety. There are other varieties of Eleagnus.)
I'm wondering if what the OP has is the '_pungens_' variety?
Elaeagnus | Fine Gardening


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

DaninVan said:


> Hey, Herb; It's the botanical name for Russian Olive (Bob mentioned it in his comment...Eleagnus is the species, _augustifolia_ is the variety. There are other varieties of Eleagnus.)
> I'm wondering if what the OP has is the '_pungens_' variety?
> Elaeagnus | Fine Gardening


Thats a new one on me, I have worked, fished, and hunted in the woods since I was a small boy ,all over western WA and never seen anything like that. 
Plenty of alder, willow cherry,madrona, Doug fir, Hemlock Pine Cedar, White fir,Western Larch,cotton wood,elderberry, Salal, Oregon grape, Silver Maple, Western Maple. all I can think of now.
Herb


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## Tagwatts (Apr 11, 2012)

Multiwood said:


> Where does Russian Olive trees grow Frank?


We find them anywhere and every here in Vernal, Utah (zip) 84078


Multiwood said:


> Where does Russian Olive trees grow Frank?


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