You might try several varieties of eleagnus, ones with varying growth habits; some for fruit, some for foliage, some for height & shade. Try interplanting schemes: 1) construct a raised garden bed in close proximity to/alongside your eleagnus planting. The nitrogen fixed by the eleagnus would enrich this bed & nourish the plants growing therein. 2) Plant this bed with various annual &/or perennial crops that, along with your eleagnus help meet the forage requirements of your livestock or wildlife. These plants could include: 1) clover *a) tall sweet yellow & white (this is the best choice, it grows well above surrounding crops & weeds, is hardy, reseeds well, lasts for 2-3 years, is an especially good pollen provider for bees, is probably good livestock feed - it can regrow easily after being browsed b) red c) crimson (an annual) d) white, lupine, or alsike 2) ligustrum (privet) 3) myrica (bayberry) 4) locust (is also a nitrogen fixer, has edible fruit & useful wood) 5) wild cherry (has edible fruit but bark is poisonous to goats - contains cyanide) 6) elderberry (best in moist areas, grows large, is hardy, has edible fruit 7) blackberry (edible fruit but can become a weed pest if allowed to escape planting area) 8) wild rose (rose hips provide bird food, browse crop for wild animals, possible, good impenetrable hedge) 9) comfrey - forage valus, medicinal herb, good cover crop, enriches soil greatly 10) burdock (greater), very hardy, reproduces well by self-seeding, contained growth, large plants, possible forage valus, medicinal herb - also cash crop) -- Lawrence F. London, Jr. mailto:london@sunSITE.unc.edu http://sunSITE.unc.edu/InterGarden