Passerines, flickers and other birds are often seen feeding heavily on the fruits throughout the winter at the Scott M. Matheson Wetlands Preserve in Moab, Utah . Ingested seeds are readily dispersed by birds. In the western states, seeds are commnly deposited along river courses where shrubs and trees are localized and provide perches for birds. S eeds remain viable for up to three years. Seedling growth is favoured by spring moisture and alkaline soils.
Plants can withstand flooding and silting and are also drought resistant.
Russian-olive, however, is also tolerant to elevated levels of salt. T his exotic grows rapidly, as much as 1.8 m per year, and readily competes with other species, especially in riparian habitats. It is somewhat shade tolerant and, once established in disturbed sites being colonized, can persist through the various seral stages to become the dominant species replacing native cottonwoods and willows in western drainage systems. I n addition to sexual reproduction and the setting of abundant seeds and seedlings, Russian-olive also propagates itself vegetatively by sprouts from adventitious buds formed on the root crowns and by root suckers. Burned areas are readily re-colonized through the production of root crown sprouts and offsite seed sources.