Thursday, 8:15 AM. 55 degrees, wind W, light to moderate. The channel is wrinkled, the sky overcast, and the barometer predicts rain. We got three-quarters of an inch of rain last night and could use a lot more, but are thankful for every drop. The rain barrels are replenished, the lawn greening up as I write, and the potted banana on the deck happy for the first time all summer.The Russian olive, Eleagnus angustifolia, pictured here, is neither olive nor Russian, although it is of Eurasian origin. It bears pea-sized silvery fruits which look somewhat like olives. It has disease problems and is considered invasive although I have not seen it particularly so. It is drought and salt tolerant, and its gray foliage is unusual in the landscape but I see no particular advantage in this plant and do not recommend its use. It has been much over planted. There is a native species of the far western plains of North America, the silverberry, E. commutata, which may be of some landscape use, as might the native buffalo berry, Shepherdia Canadensis, also of the Western plains. All these plants are in the family Eleagnaceae.
It looks like a good day to do some desk work and see what the weather does.
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