Goumi

About Goumi

Goumi is a rounded, somewhat thorny shrub about 8 feet tall with silvery leaves and bright red berries the size of a small cherry. It blooms very early, needs little care, and its fruit shakes off easily when ripe. It is a cousin of the invasive autumn olive: USDA PLANTS shows no noxious or invasive listing for goumi and UW-Madison saw no invasive tendencies, but it does appear in the WeedUS database of plants invading natural areas (via EDDMapS), so keep an eye out for seedlings.

Rated for zones 5-9 and marginal in zone 4, where cold can kill stems back (UW-Madison CIAS); no state noxious or invasive listing was found, though it is in the WeedUS natural-areas database.

When to plant

Timing is counted from your average last spring frost (and first fall frost). Sow & Tell works out the actual dates for your ZIP code.

Expect the first berries 2 to 3 years after planting (UW-Madison CIAS). Flowers open very early, in late March or sooner in a warm spring. If winter cold kills stems back, renewal pruning brings the shrub back.

Soil

Tolerates a wide range of soils as long as drainage is moderate to good (UW-Madison CIAS).

Choose a sunny spot with moderate to good drainage; goumi tolerates a wide range of soils (UW-Madison CIAS).

Feeding

Protect young stems from mice and rabbits, which can girdle them (UW-Madison CIAS).

Harvest

The red berries ripen evenly and shake off easily when they are ripe (UW-Madison CIAS).

Varieties (1)

Only one named goumi cultivar, Sweet Scarlet, is described by a neutral source (University of Wisconsin). Other goumis are sold as seedlings or under nursery names we could not confirm from a university or government source.

Pests to watch for

Rabbits

In the kitchen

Eaten fresh or made into sauces, pies, jellies and juice (UW-Madison CIAS).

Safety: The sources we checked list no toxic parts, and we found no research-based guidance on use in pregnancy, drug interactions or allergies.

Pets: Not listed as toxic by the ASPCA