I've just tried sprouting Elaeagnus latifolia seeds purchased through eBay : "Elaeagnus latifolia 20 seeds, fruits, vitamin C high, anti-oxidants. ferment Rar" from one kero-ppi in Thailand, I think it was. Arrived packed in peat moss medium; planted immediately. Looks like about 100% germination in 25 days. I will be challenging these trees to grow probably at the northern limit of their climate zone (USDA zone 6A). Looking forward to fruit within a decade. I'll also be attempting to tetraploidize branch tips with colchicine and backgross to the diploid "parent", for triploid progeny, to reduce the invasive potential. Not that many birds are going to be flying around with Elaeagnus fruit of this size, but this probably should be routinely done with Elaeagnus spp. (a little late for E. umbellata and angustifolia, here in the USA).