Silverberry

Silverberry (Elaeagnus commutata).

I tried to find a plant that has become known as autumn berry (Elaeagnus umbellata) around North America. Elsewhere autumn berry is merely known as autumn olive. It is possible to even buy one online, but farms cultivating it are not close to Tampere. And only "known individual" I manage to trace close enough my home, was growing outside Kaisaniemi Botanic Garden. Unfortunately I found out it had perished in winter 2016.

These plants belongs to same family of Elaeagnaceae as does sea-buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides), which is much more common around here. Fruits (or berries) of all these plants are known as great sources of flavonoids and vitamins (A, C & E).

Especially interesting still is the story of autumn berry. It was brought to North America in 1830s, then declared as useful plant from 1930s through the 1970s. Somewhere between that era it's name was changed from autumn olive to autumn berry, to make it more attractive and used as a cultivated and eatable fruit. But then in 1970s it was announced as a harmful invasive plant that takes space from all other plants and livestock, and now people are even encouraged to "eat it away".