Goumi Berry: 15 Reasons it’s the BEST and how to grow Goumi Elaeagnus multiflora

[@heppylifestyle]

doing this vid, i'll add to my list of 15 reasons! + she's hardy to zone 4!! (grows in zones 4-9). That dummy in the vid didn't mention that! + no or little fruit drop, UNlike stone fruits (Peach, Plum, etc) or the Pawpaw (talk about fruit drop!). + no off-year in fruit production. it's common for stone fruits to have a heavy-fruiting year, and then a low-fruiting yr. Not the Goumi ;).

[@krismatthieu8767]

I’m glad you added that because I’m in 6a mountains and it also gets extremely windy!

[@heppylifestyle]

@@krismatthieu8767 that multi-trunk system ain't going anywhere. but your hat will ;). stay low, thanks for the feedback and thanks for stopping by!

[@drewhillfarms]

Having been growing these for many years, I find that all your reasons for growing them are valid. I will add that they grow from seed easily as shown by the many plants along my fence lines,dropped there by birds. The birds also plant them in my fruit orchard when resting in a tree that they must feel needs nitrogen. They are not invasive nor do the birds “plant” too many. My sheep love eating the smaller ones but if they grow higher than four feet they are spared the pruning. The orchard trees really benefit from the extra nitrogen provided. I have yet to harvest any of the fruit because they have so much fruit that it tends to be too small. I’ll try pruning them to see if it helps.

[@heppylifestyle]

@@drewhillfarms great feedback, and thank you! Sheep, orchard & all -- have fun! Thanks for stopping by.

[@EcoInstant]

Where can I buy seeds for this plant?

[@greatescapefarms]

Another EXCELLENT video by Heppy Lifestyle! Also, thanks for the mention in the video! At Great Escape Farms, we had an 80% + success rooting Sweet Scarlet last year with softwood cuttings using a mist system. The mist system was programmed to be on for 10 seconds every 5-minutes from 6 AM until 9 PM and under a 50% shade cloth. We take the cuttings in early July and up-pot them in November with a fairly decent root system. Keep up the good work my friend!

[@heppylifestyle]

@greatescapefarms 80%+ success rate! that's outstanding! and you're a trusted source so you're mentioned. thanks for your vid on the mist system. hope all is well, and your spring farm walk-through looked great! thanks for stopping by!

[@gladstone1969]

Carmine is the same as Tillamook. Confirmed by Lucile Whitman of Whitman farms (the person who started the Tillamook in the US). The name was changed to Carmine temporarily by another nursery.

[@heppylifestyle]

@gladstone1969 thank you. i meant to call Lucile and ask. you're comment supports the weirdness i'd see about Carmine (eg, referred to as, "Tillamook/Carmine"). i made a note. much appreciated, and thanks for stopping by!

[@standbyvindicate7723]

Thank you for taking the time to pull a whole comprehensive show together on the Goumi. This video (along with your others) convinced me I had to have find a way to get some Tillamook and that's just what I did, straight from the source! Really loved seeing just how glorious your own Goumis grew to be over just a few years, and loaded with such a haul! That visual is hard to find 😆 It's simply gratifying to see how much you love and appreciate your plants❤ Great work, HEPPY!

[@heppylifestyle]

@standbyvindicate7723 candidly, it's this sort of feedback that provides me support (in the garden and editing vids). SUCH warm things to write -- thank you. and yes, i pushed folks to Lucile; straight to the source; excellent quality; a lady who carved an awesome path. thank you SO much for taking the time to provide that comment. sincerely, pete 😄🤩🐞

[@standbyvindicate7723]

@@heppylifestyle Sure thing, Pete! It's pretty special to have a piece of her legacy! (and I can only dream of having that energy at her age) I'm just getting started, trying to recreate something similar to what you have going, so I'm soaking in all the info I can in order to be discerning with my humble budget.🙏 I appreciate your down-to-earth presentations, and the captions crack me up😆

[@standbyvindicate7723]

@@heppylifestyle Also, all that aside, hope you're staying safe through that weather! 🤯🙏 Hadn't seen a tornado warning over there since La Plata in '02!

[@heppylifestyle]

​@@standbyvindicate7723 ur too cool; really appreciate it; yes, hopefully we can keep-up with Lucile; let me know how things unfold. Also, take your time, be flexible and work the soil! :) my garden is literally built over free woodchips :). let me know how the garden goes! 🐞

[@heppylifestyle]

@@standbyvindicate7723 you're a local yokal! yup, i probably woke up to the same warning. you're local and mentioned budget and wrote such delightful responses ... so i can give you a few free plants if you have the space or desire. i'm up the street in Fort Washington. usc333 [at] gmail is an address.

[@charlesbale8376]

Fabulous information...Enjoyed the video.

[@heppylifestyle]

@charlesbale8376 thank you for the feedback, and thanks for stopping by!

[@JJE2010MO]

Thank you from a Gold Star family.

[@heppylifestyle]

@JJE2010MO My sincerest condolences to you and your family. Showing a moment of respect and appreciation is the least any of us can do. 🧡

[@gardenofseeden]

I have 2 varieties they are AMAZING! I love that they all taste different too.

[@AlsanPine]

i agree completely. i have the sweet scarlet and red gem. cutting is definitely the way to go especially if you have some kind of willow to speed it up.

[@ptrainingbytim]

Excellent vid! I’ll be getting at least one of these asap. Blessings from northern california.

[@heppylifestyle]

Thank you and enjoy that beautiful part of the country!

[@Testing329]

Gloria a ti,señor,por todo/ Viva Christo Rey

[@unmeaninglessly143]

I wonder if i can plant this in malaysia. Its videos like these that gives me the urge to plant everything 😂 Your video is very educational. Thanks for sharing

[@heppylifestyle]

@unmeaninglessly143 Hello Malaysia! thank you for the feedback! i'm glad you're thinking fruiting plants but Malaysia should be an AMAZING place to grow large tropical fruits! anyways, thanks for stopping by!

[@frenchiepowell]

Great video! Keep up the great work! Mine are in the ground and doing great!

[@heppylifestyle]

@frenchiepowell wow, you're fast! glad the plants are set. thank you for the feedback, and for stopping by. keep me -- keep this community -- updated on your progress with developing the Goumi!

[@jadabaudelaire118]

Thanks for the good video

[@deecooper1567]

Hmm, I live in nw high desert of Nevada & I’m gonna give it a try since it it cold hearty & heat tolerant. And of course we have an abundance of sand 🤪🤪 in which I have to amend heavily & mulch deep. You got my curiosity up🤩 Have a great day 👵🏻👩‍🌾❣️

[@heppylifestyle]

@deecooper1567 i grew up in the low desert to your SW. you nailed it -- amend, amend, amend that sandy soil. you probably do this but i gathered hay, alfalfa and a bit a poo from local horse corrals. Thanks for stopping by 🐞

[@deecooper1567]

@@heppylifestyle Yep👍. My neighbor has a lawn & some trees & bring me all their bags grass & leaves 🍁. Makes a good compost with some 🐄💩 🤣🤣. It’s def a challenge gardening here. 👵🏻👩‍🌾❣️

[@heppylifestyle]

@@deecooper1567 🤓😎🧑🏼‍🌾

[@pierreboyer9277]

Interesting, I'd heard that umbellata is a good fruit plant too in the past. I think I actually have a small umbellata. Now I need to get a multiflora I guess :)

[@heppylifestyle]

get on board 😃

[@Skitdora2010]

I planted sweet scarlet in 2005 from Jungs for $12. My last place it grew much larger than supposed to and the first 3 years the fruit wasn't the best, tasted more of tomatoes, because you need to wait till it comes loose with a shake. I moved and took years to get a plant to survive here and at last potted plants from One Green World for $35 made it. Now I have to wait for it to get large enough to fruit again. It tasted like cherry gummy fruit snacks, and you can eat seed when fresh but freezing the fruit whole the seeds becomes too chewy to eat whole.

[@TheDiversifiedFarmer]

There sure is alot of variety in the elaeagnus family. Our goumi is a seedling selection from a now closed nursery and it tastes like cherries and fuji apples.

[@adams7833]

Thank you!!

[@benwamsley5876]

Mulberry is pretty darn good around here

[@albertcamus7064]

Seaberry is a very similar plant with all these great characteristics! (hippophae rhamnoides)

[@heppylifestyle]

@albertcamus7064 Seaberry is a fantastic plant. and i read that they're care-free plants, and bought about 5-6 varieties! one survived longer than 1 year. for me, in soupy Maryland (or my gardening skills), Seaberry is not working well. vid is coming about that :/. Thanks for stopping by and mentioning the Seaberry! In the right conditions it's a great fruiting shrub.

[@XoroksComment]

Tillamook just has much bigger berries than Sweet Scarlet in general, it's not because of the vigor/crop load. Since Goumi is a relatively new plant introduction in the western world, we haven't gotten the best varieties from Asia yet. Tillamook has a relatively good size compared to the previously available small varieties that are closer to the wild form (such as Sweet Scarlet, Yahidka, Red Gem, etc), but there are even bigger varieties in Asia. One of the biggest so far that is slowly being spread by collectors here in Europe is the variety Daigoumi from Korea. In the US there are also some other larger varieties besides Tillamook, such as Carmine, Catherine's Find and Pippi. I'd try to source those 👍🏻 Here you can see a large Japanese variety, for comparison: kzbin.info/www/bejne/paWUlqSkq9uHercsi=BTg2MAALZgVeOLKl

[@heppylifestyle]

@XoroksComment thank you. i watched the vid -- very nice fruit. I googled Daigoumi, Elaeagnus multiflora hoping to get lucky. I look forward to seeing larger selections. after corresponding with many folks (post-vid), i'm told that the Tillamook & Carmine are the same; a nursery renamed the Tillamook to Carmine. i'll be clearer in my vid next time. I placed Catherine's Find and Pippi in my personal notes to figure out origin and clarity on, are they different or existing cultivars that are renamed 🥸. Great comments, and thanks for stopping by!

[@justinthewildoutdoors]

I second that Tillamook and carmine are the same. I have checked multiple sources on this.

[@XoroksComment]

​@@heppylifestyle There are a lot of people saying that Carmine and Tilamook are synonyms, while others claim there are slight differences between the two. I'm not in the US, so I don't have access to these two varieties and can't comment on whether they are actually the same or, in fact, slightly different. Either way, Catherine's Find and Pippi are distinct, since they are new seedling varieties. You'll find pictures of Daigoumi if you search for it on the popular "white f on blue square" social media website (if I say the name my comments get automatically flagged as spam and removed 🗿), where a lot of the discussion on Goumi is happening in the Elaeagnaceae group.

[@heppylifestyle]

​@@XoroksComment thank you for taking the time to express all that! my original reply vaporized; i'll look at the forum you mentioned; i didn't want to name-drop but Carmine is the Tilamook, according to the person who first found & rooted the Tillamook (i spoke with her by phone post-vid); Pippi is on my radar and already hae a plant to get it. THANK you for your 'heads up' and feedback. Be well in your part of the world 🐞

[@XoroksComment]

@@heppylifestyle I misspelled the variety name "Daiougoumi", with that spelling you'll find more results on said social media website

[@foodforestretirement2799]

Here in Lubbock, Texas Goumi berries are hit or miss trying to establish. I have failed with more than half. They also are not nearly as productive and have lots of off years 😆 I wish they grew at least a little better here because I love them.

[@foodforestretirement2799]

Right now I only have Sweet Scarlet established and this year it looks like I may have been successful with a Carmine seedling and a Red Gem. Hopefully with 3 varieties I will start getting more productive seasons.

[@heppylifestyle]

@@foodforestretirement2799 sorry to hear that Lubbock isn't ideal. i just Google Lubbock -- looks like it's on the dry (western) side of TX. should be promising land. you're probably doing this but get some organics around 'em -- dress with black compost soil, and cover with a layer of decomposed woodchips. A++ on trying the other varieties. I'm hearing that Carmine is like the Tillamook. it be interesting to see how the Carmine develops.... Thanks for the feedback & for stopping by!

[@foodforestretirement2799]

​@heppylifestyle Thanks I have been growing a Food Forest Garden for 6 years I know the drill. If it isn't the wind here. It's the alkaline water and soil. Or the 3 months of 90 to 105 degree summer. There's just a lot of adverse conditions here. Some of the easiest things to grow just say no way!

[@heppylifestyle]

​@@foodforestretirement2799 yup, all the lessons rub off; glad you're working the varieties. you doin jujubes? and herbs love heat; Lavender like alkaline soil. yup, the SW is warm. i just looked at your silent garden walk-through. i may have seen a Goumi and jujube; it was a little fast. your stone fruit trees look great!!!

[@foodforestretirement2799]

@heppylifestyle Terrible story. I knew Jujube would be no problem and I let it die while I had many new plantings to worry about 😆 Overall it is a rousing success and people here think I have a magic green thumb but it was just devotion and hard work. I love your videos by the way. I just did a few on a whim. Happy growing

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Just discovered your channel, WOW i can’t understand why your channel hasn’t blown up more than it has. Would you be open to a visit to film?

[@heppylifestyle]

@StefanSobkowiak well thank you for the compliment! your presentation and tone is excellent (in vids); heck, it's from you that I could learn from -- for gardening & youtubing ;) congradulations on the number of subscribers! i subscribed -- let's get you to 200k. i'd be honored by a visit but keep expectations low; overall, the garden very is young, and carved out of abandoned land. more carving needed :/ again, thank you for the compliment, and for stopping by!

[@christophegilbertson4740]

Great vid. Now, what do YOU do with all of that fruit?

[@heppylifestyle]

@christophegilbertson4740 well, sorta share, and it's 'all u can eat' for me. but, this yr i discovered that squirrels have found me ... so i have competition. fruit (and herbs) picking and processing, i discovered, is beyond my bandwidth until i retire i suppose.... great question, btw. thanks for stopping by!

[@richardr5878]

Cool, but no description on what they taste like?

[@heppylifestyle]

@@richardr5878 sorry about that. Cherry is the closest flavor profile; can be slightly tart compared to a sweet cherry.

[@pauhy5601]

@HEPPY lifestyle,you forgot to mention that one can also propagate Goumi Berry from cutting or grafting would suffice in multiplying how many plant any person want on their property& home garden?.

[@heppylifestyle]

@pauhy5601. i added grafting in my personal notes -- to look deeper into. that's a great idea. Goumi does sprout from the base of the plant, however. it's have to post the question in a gardening forum to look for feedback (growingfruit.org). Thanks for stopping by!

[@jamesbarron1202]

Do plum curculio infest them? Where I live, I’ve given up on any stone fruit because of them. I can spray multiple insecticides every 2 weeks from petal fall up to 2 weeks before harvest and every fruit will be infested with their larvae. A stone fruit horticulture professor told me it’s because I have too many wild plums in my area and it’s a breeding ground for them. He said I’m fighting a losing battle.

[@heppylifestyle]

@@jamesbarron1202 wow ... I'm really sorry to hear that the infestation is that bad!!! I'm in Maryland, about sea level, and have no issues but for leaf spot & a few spots on fruit too. Sorry to hear about your experience and the pervasiveness of plum curculio! 🥺

[@jamesbarron1202]

@@heppylifestyle my climate is nowhere like Maryland. Hot and dry Texas. We’ve been in the 90s this week and I’m near Oklahoma so I’m not south Texas. Crazy it’s almost Halloween and still in the 90s. Been about 2 months since it’s rained.

[@heppylifestyle]

@@jamesbarron1202 I didn't hit the heart emoji cause the subject ain't funny. Yup, it's weird hot and damn dry. My stream has been dry most of this yr; usually it's only August. But we cooled off 🥳. Still, I'm sorry about the pervasiveness of the critter. Really hard on stone fruits (to your point). Overwinters in forest litter is what I read but if it everywhere...that just sucks. Maybe natural bait traps during fruiting season. Vinegar, water with a bit of dish soap on a cup hanging in the branches. Thx for the feedback! 👩‍🌾

[@inharmonywithearth9982]

There actually are plants that are male and there are plants that are female but the goumi is both male and female and can pollinate itself.

[@heppylifestyle]

Yes, the species Elaeagnus multiflora is self-fertile ;) Thanks for stopping by!

[@inharmonywithearth9982]

I am one of your subscribers I have you on all notifications. I didn't just stop by. I liked your info but that goumi is not by any means a girl lol.

[@heppylifestyle]

@@inharmonywithearth9982 well, thank you for subscribing! and thank you for the feedback 😀.

[@tulsaprepperdad6674]

​@inharmonywithearth9982 my lifted 4x4 is my girl..aaaand many of my favorite plants..anyway didn't you say it's a boy and a girl? We don't do that extra gender stuff you need to pick one. We picked female...maybe because that's what we are into🤫😉😂

[@ChengKarenDelaCruz]

Sir shout out from Philippines.can we grow it too herr in Philippines

[@heppylifestyle]

@ChengKarenDelaCruz hello Philippines!! and thank you for watching my vids! yes, i believe the Goumi (Elaeagnus multiflora) will grow in the Philippines! I don't know for sure but i'd plant one there! the Goumi is a very versatile and strong fruiting shrub :) Thanks again for stopping by!

[@towzone]

Best in what zone / climate. We don’t all live where you do.

[@heppylifestyle]

@towzone sorry about that; i could have added that info! Zones 4 to 9 (90% of America); almost tastes like cherry but a bit tart; more is here, heppy.org/goumi. good point & thank you!

[@geriannroth449]

Can these grow in the tropics or do they require chill hours?

[@heppylifestyle]

@@geriannroth449 great question; I've got them growing in Southern California and they go dormant in Dec-Jan but otherwise do fine: many commenters describe vigorous growing Beautyberry in central Florida.

[@samuraioodon]

Any idea it with survive here in Texas? Zone 8

[@heppylifestyle]

give it great soil, get her established and i think she'll do fine! it's truly the last plant i worry about (BUT she's planted in a LOT of rich soil). i hope that helped, and thanks for stopping by ;)

[@samuraioodon]

@@heppylifestyle thanks, I have a small garden and seeing how vigorous it can get. I want to plant on full West Sun here and worried if it will get burned back. The trunk looks quite thick in your video, 6" thick? Is that a mature size?

[@heppylifestyle]

@@samuraioodon good luck in the garden! the base is about 6", and she keeps growing. i suspect that the base will continue to get thicker 💪

[@mu99ins]

I planted some Guomi Berries in the ground a couple of years ago. I am still trying to eradicate it. Also, importantly, the fruit does not have a good flavor. Plant in containers.

[@heppylifestyle]

@mu99ins i'm sorry to hear about that. i'm not a know-it-all but heads up, the Autumn Olive (aka, Japanese Silverberry), Elaeagnus umbellata looks almost identical, and is a full-blown invasive. plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/elaeagnus-umbellata/ You may have the Elaeagnus umbellata, or one of the other two invasive Elaeagnus. The only Goumi i advocate for is the Elaeagnus multiflora.

[@krismatthieu8767]

What are the best nurseries to buy them from live ?

[@heppylifestyle]

@krismatthieu8767 whitmanfarms.com. call Lucile. she's the real deal -- the "OG" of the Tillamook and who knows what else! A terrific lady. also, nurseries i trust & buy from: heppy.org/products#nurseries

[@Arlcuts]

If going for a hedge how far apart should you space these?

[@joebobjenkins7837]

Gonna be hard to really make it a proper hedge. My goumi stretches out about 4-5ft either side. You could probably get away with 4ft but Id say proly 6ft spacing.

[@heppylifestyle]

@Arlcuts great answer by @joebobjenkins7837. 4ft would be solid solid; 6ft is good; better soil & sun, the better growth and it'll fill-in better (5-6').

[@traciedowning8566]

Would air layering take root quicker?

[@heppylifestyle]

@traciedowning8566 well, i lack an understanding of the science. it's certainly worth trying as an experiment. air layering (as i understand it) needs a medium wrapped around a branch, and must stay moist. pick the shady side of the Goumi and go for it!

[@Hammer4999]

You forgot to mention what it tastes like or fruit quality

[@heppylifestyle]

@Hammer4999 great point! they're flavor profile is closest to cherry when completely ripe. anything less than fully ripe, it's like a tart cherry. thanks for stopping by!

[@grandwonder5858]

Which berry is sweeter? The sweet scarlet or the tillamook?

[@heppylifestyle]

@grandwonder5858 i'm 'all in' on the Tillamook. the size is so much larger than the SS. to your question -- it's either about the same or Tillamook has the edge. My "Tilly" fruited great this year but it was the first yr. i'm staying neutral on judging sweetness until Tilly matures. but she's looking good in every way. i'm pointing folks to Lucile at Whitman Farms; she's 'ground zero' for the Tillamook plant (i make no commission; i'm a no-BS operation). you can't go wrong with SS but do Tillamook if you're choosing one.

[@richardstevens3461]

Seriously, the most bullet proof plant on the planet! And nobody knows what the hell it is!

[@heppylifestyle]

@richardstevens3461 we're on the same page! 😂🤣. Thanks for stopping by!

[@timschannel910]

Will any grow in North Carolina

[@heppylifestyle]

@timschannel910 NC is fantastic territory, and the Goumi is very cold hardy. if it helps, everything i learned about the plant is here, heppy.org/goumi

[@gardenofseeden]

I tried to air layer with no luck.

[@heppylifestyle]

@gardenofseeden Thank you for the feedback about air layering, and for stopping by 🐞

[@joebobjenkins7837]

Some of them taste like cherries. Others taste like chalk poured on an unripe lemon. Almost no consistency. Youd think a fat dark red berry would taste the same, nope.

[@heppylifestyle]

I'm wondering if the ones that don't taste good are the invasive, Elaeagnus umbellata. The look very similar 🙃🫤

[@joebobjenkins7837]

Ive only got one bush

[@THETEAL0VER]

👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻⭐️

[@heppylifestyle]

🐞

[@robinmiller7505]

where do you buy seed

[@heppylifestyle]

@robinmiller7505 id contact Whitman Farms and get a Sweet Scarlet and/or Tillamook plant! I make no commission, btw. Also, plz don't get plants from FB or eBay. There may be reputable folks but don't waste time and take risk, I recommend. Man, I give a lot of great free advice 🫣🤣🧑🏼‍🌾🐞

[@robinmiller7505]

how about frost

[@heppylifestyle]

@robinmiller7505 ??? No heart for u! 🤣. My pinned post shows the zone: more is here, heppy.org/goumi 🐞

[@rahulnambiar4473]

Are these berries tropical?

[@wilsonscott2370]

I tend to stay away from fruit "that makes great jam."

[@UncleNiikii]

Seriously??? If gummy berries are real, are the gummy bears protecting us from evil villains?

[@Nicholas.Tsagkos]

It's a he, not a she, Eleagnos is male.

[@thedanbando]

huh??

[@TheDiversifiedFarmer]

I planted some Goumi near my orchard and it made my Peach and Mulberry rain fruits 🍑 🫐

[@heppylifestyle]

@TheDiversifiedFarmer now, that's a companion plant! And I think I know what I'll be doing with my seedlings 🤓😎. Thanks for stopping by!

[@TheDiversifiedFarmer]

@@heppylifestyle thanks, please like and follow to see what we're up to. Newly subscribed. ✌ 🌎 🍃