Description
Sweet Scarlet Goumi is a uniquely useful fruiting shrub that blends ornamental beauty with real productivity. Native to East Asia, goumi has long been appreciated for its resilience, soil-building ability, and early-season harvest. The berries ripen to a glossy red in late spring to early summer, offering a bright, tangy-sweet flavor often compared to cranberries or sour cherries. When fully ripe, the fruit becomes noticeably sweeter and is excellent fresh, dried, or made into jams and sauces. Beyond the fruit, goumi plays a valuable ecological role. As a nitrogen-fixing plant, it improves soil health over time, making it a natural fit for edible landscapes, permaculture systems, and low-fertility soils. This Sweet Scarlet selection is propagated from cuttings, ensuring consistent fruit quality and a uniform growth habit.
Overview
- Hardy fruiting shrub with early-ripening berries.
- Sweet-tart red fruit with culinary versatility.
- Silvery foliage adds ornamental interest.
- Nitrogen-fixing roots improve soil health.
- Self-fertile; productivity improves with pairing.
Growing Details
Latin Name: Elaeagnus multiflora ‘Sweet Scarlet’
Site and Soil: 1/2 day to full day of sun; well-drained soil preferred
Rootstock: Own-root (propagated from cuttings)
Hardiness: Hardy to USDA Zone 4
Bearing Age: 1–2 years
Size at Maturity: Typically 6–8 ft tall and wide
Bloom Time: Spring
Ripening Time: Late spring to early summer
Pollination Requirements: Self-fertile; plant a second goumi within 20–30 feet for increased yields
Pests & Diseases: Generally trouble-free; excellent disease resistance
Additional Notes
- Grower’s Insight: Flavor improves dramatically if berries are allowed to fully ripen on the plant—early harvests can be sharply tart.
- Regional Insight: Sweet Scarlet Goumi excels in the Pacific Northwest, Midwest, and Northeast, where cool springs support strong flowering and reliable fruit set.
