Goumi

Goumi: Epic Permaculture Plant

(Elaeagnus multiflora)

Goumi, also known as gumi or cherry silverberry, is a deciduous shrub valued for its edible berries and nitrogen-fixing capabilities. Native to East Asia, this hardy plant offers multiple benefits in permaculture systems.

Growing 6-10 feet tall, goumi shrubs have silvery-green leaves and produce fragrant, small yellow flowers in spring. These are followed by beautiful red, speckled berries in early summer. The berries have a sweet-tart flavor and are rich in lycopene and other antioxidants. They have a unique delicious flavor, almost like a strawberry gummy bear mixed with a sour patch kid…or something like that. It’s one of my favorite fruits to introduce visitors to.

Goumi plants thrive in full sun to partial shade and adapt to various soil types. They’re hardy in USDA zones 4-9 and are notably drought-tolerant once established. As nitrogen-fixers, they can improve soil fertility for nearby plants.

At Humble Abode Nursery, we offer bare-root goumi plants selected for fruit quality and adaptability. Our stock is grown using organic practices to ensure healthy, vigorous specimens.

Consider adding goumi to your garden if you’re interested in unusual fruits, looking for nitrogen-fixing plants, or want to create a diverse, edible hedgerow.

Variety Info:

Sweet Scarlet: Best sweet taste, as the name implies. Smaller berries but also smaller (edible) seeds.

Carmine: Super productive and large berries.

Pippi: Even larger berries than carmine. Heavy yields and large fruit size make for easy processing.

Red Gem: Productive, even ripening, and with good flavor. Berries are slightly larger than sweet scarlet.

Wang bo: Super large fruited variety from Korea.

Chorus:

Monez:

Seedling: Seedling goumis give excellent fruit! These are seedlings of the varieties above.