http://www.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/f...nt.php?attachmentid=115816&stc=1&d=1372998971 Plant I. D. for a tree/bush growing in a private garden in Powell River, B.C. I hope to have attached two pictures of the tree/bush sample which I was given by the owner of the private garden. I received the branch on June 25th. It is about 14 inches long with reddish brown bark, alternate green leaves which are lighter green on the under side and has three fruits. Two of the fruit are green and one is turning yellow. A fourth fruit was red on the branch but became mushed in transport so I took it off the branch and show the pit which it contained. The pit has 8 ridges on it. The leaves are from 1 inch to 3 and 1/2 inches long. The fruits are about 3/4 of an inch long. The sample comes from a tree/bush which has a single trunk at the ground but has so many branches that it looks more like a bush. The garden owner was told when she bought the property that there was a Sweet Red Olive growing on the property. She wonders if this is the Sweet Red Olive. She was also told that the red olive was edible. I would really appreciate some help in identifying this plant as I am not familiar with Sweet Red Olive.
Ditto to Elaeagnus. Often mistaken for an olive, but isn't one - most easily told by the leaves being alternate, not opposite the way olive leaves are. The fruit is edible when ripe, but doesn't have a lot of flavour.
When I checked out Elaeagnus I think the sample is probably E. multiflora. Have asked the owner to look on the internet. The scales are not visible to the naked eye and can only be seen with a ten power magnifying glass. The fruit I have now is starting to dry out so it is not easy to see scales on it even with a magnifying glass but it does have the same type of scale appearing as the bark and the leaves have. Thanks very much Michael and Ron. I feel you are correct about Elaeagnus.
Agree it is most likely multiflora; based on the size of the fruit, also likely to be one of the named varieties. Seems to be a plant that has been sold/spread around Powell River, as I recall a couple of other queries on other forums about the same plant originating from PR. Disagree that it doesn't have a lot of flavour, though: the varieties 'Sweet Scarlet' and 'Red Gem' in my garden produce sweet and tasty fruit...though it is always slightly astringent.
