The illustrated growing guide
Elaeagnus multiflora
Family Elaeagnaceae
Est. zones 4-9
A dual-purpose permaculture star: nitrogen-fixing roots that feed nearby fruit trees, PLUS a heavy crop of tart-sweet red berries in June — earlier than almost anything. The spring flowers perfume the whole yard and feed the first bees. Poor soil is a feature, not a bug.
Full Sun to Part Shade
Low water
Fast growth
Excellent edible
Attracts beesI
Will goumi suit your garden, and what goes wrong.
Will it fruit where you are?
Enter your ZIP — we look up your USDA hardiness zone (2023 map) and check it against what goumi actually needs.
Hardy inZones 4-9
II
Light, water, soil, propagation and the season’s jobs.
III
What goumi asks for, month by month.
BloomPruneHarvestWhat each band means
The goumi year as text
These are the species' typical months — expect them a few weeks earlier in warm zones and later in cold ones. Watch the plant, not just the calendar.
IV
What it does for the garden, and what it is grown for.
✓ Commonly eatenastringent until fully ripe
June-July: speckled red cherries — tart-sweet, high in lycopene.
Edibility, identification, and traditional-use notes here are general reference — not medical or veterinary advice, and not a claim that any plant treats or prevents anything. Medicinal ratings record how strongly a plant features in herbal tradition, nothing more. Never eat or dose a plant you have not positively identified. More on how to use this library.
V
Named varieties of goumi, ruled as a catalogue.
4 on file
Named varieties of goumi differ in winter-chill needs, ripening time, hardiness, and whether they set fruit on their own — pick one that fits your climate.
sweet, reminiscent of pie cherries — Nursery lists it as hardy to minus 25F and partially self-fertile, and recommends planting it with Red Gem for cross-pollination and heavier crops. Bearing usually starts 2-3 years after planting.
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juicy, tart-sweet, reminiscent of pie cherries — Originally from the Russian Far East by way of the Main Botanic Garden in Kiev. Nursery reports 10-15 lbs of scarlet, silver-speckled fruit per bush and bearing 2-3 years after planting. Partially self-fertile, cropping heavier when planted with Sweet Scarlet.
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aromatic, reminiscent of pie cherries — An Oregon selection passed on by Willamette Valley nurserywoman Lucile Whitman from cuttings taken in Tillamook, Oregon in the 1980s. Nursery lists it hardy to minus 25F and partially self-fertile, better with Red Gem or Sweet Scarlet nearby.
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pleasantly tart, slightly astringent until dead ripe — A heavy-yielding Pacific Northwest selection. Nursery notes the slight astringency is lost only when the fruit is fully ripe, so this one rewards waiting. Partially self-fertile but better with a second variety. The largest of the named goumis, listed at 12 ft by 10 ft and described as growing to about 15 ft. Ripens earlier than the July goumis: Peaceful Heritage Nursery reports May 20 - June 5 in Kentucky, so expect the early end of the species window.
Story Thyme Farms may earn a small commission from these links, at no cost to you — it never changes what we recommend.
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Where the care distinctions come from, and how the plant is filed.
Research basis
No extension citations are attached to goumiyet. The care figures below come from the library's own catalogue rather than a traced primary source.
VII
Third-party nurseries — not Story Thyme Farms.
Third-party nurseries, not Story Thyme Farms. Prices are theirs.
Story Thyme Farms may earn a small commission from these links, at no cost to you — it never changes what we recommend.
VIII
Goumi questions, answered straight.
Goumi is commonly eaten and isn't considered toxic, but "commonly eaten" isn't a guarantee for any particular person or animal — allergies, quantity, and which part you eat all matter. One caveat on this one: astringent until fully ripe. Never eat a plant you haven't positively identified, and check with a vet before letting pets or livestock graze anything new.
June-July: speckled red cherries — tart-sweet, high in lycopene.
Grafted, or from cuttings/layering (seed won't come true).
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Where goumi sits in the library.
Serviceberry / Juneberry
Fig
Elderberry
Blackberry