Birds go crazy over the fruit & can get into some vicious quarrels over it. The fruit is also edible to man. It has a tart-sweet taste, sort of like pie cherries. Most info. says it is better to make jams & jellies out of it & they say they are superb!
This is a fast-growing shrub. When established, it tolerates drought conditions with aplomb.
The leaves are green on top & silvery underneath (dotted with tiny brown scales), so they flash prettily when blowing in the wind.
A native of China & Japan.
The fruits are very showy, red dotted with tiny silver flecks, obovate, & 1/2 to 1 inch long.
This is a nitrogen-fixing plant & does not require fertilizer. It is said that when it is planted among other fruiting shrubs & trees, the other plants have a higher fruit yield.

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A friend of mine in Landenberg in southeast Pennsylvania is growing a few shrubs on his property where he manages a food forest and permaculture. He is growing this large shrub for its tasty red fruits that look sort of spotted. Otherwise, I have heard of this species from East Asia, but have not seen one until now.

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I don't think that Goumi is commonly grown. That is a shame as it is a really lovely medium-sized shrub. But best of all is the wonderful scent of the late spring flowers, followed by copious amounts of very tart fruit. The fruit would be great for making jelly, but I just leave mine for the songbirds to eat. Birds visit the Goumi all day long until the fruit is totally gone.

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Birds love the fruits of the 'Goumi' more than any fruit I have ever grown. I am a Master Gardener and was on their yearly garden tour many times when the fruit would be ripe. The birds would actually "scream" at the people when they interrupted their feast. It was comical!

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