Red Gem

Goumi

Size

Up to 5/8 in. (16mm) - the larger of the two common commercial goumi cultivars

Shape

Oval/oblong drupe, scarlet-red, speckled with silver

Flavor

Sweet-tart, compared to tart/pie cherry or apple

Texture

Juicy

Ripening window

July

Best uses

Fresh eating, preserves, jam

Pollination

Partially self-fertile - cross-pollination with Sweet Scarlet Goumi (see separate entry) recommended for heavier crops; goumi has perfect/hermaphroditic flowers, unlike autumn olive's more mixed flower structure

Tree size

5-6 ft (cultivated goumi is consistently kept at 5-8 ft, though the wild species can reach much larger in ideal conditions)

Notes

Elaeagnus multiflora. Nitrogen-fixing, generally pest/disease-free, very fragrant flowers and good bee forage. Origin traces to the Russian Far East; this cultivar was selected at the Main Botanic Garden, Kiev, Ukraine. Zones 4-9 depending on source, hardy to about -25F - comfortably covers zone 8a; goumi is generally described as heat- and drought-tolerant with reasonable humidity adaptability given good airflow, though no source specifically addresses Texas growing. Unlike autumn olive, goumi is not considered invasive anywhere in the US per USDA's invasive/noxious plant database.