Most of the species are xerophytes (found in dry habitats); several are also halophytes, tolerating high levels of soil salinity.

The Elaeagnaceae often harbor nitrogen-fixing actinomycetes of the genus Frankia in root nodules, making them useful for soil reclamation.

[7] A fossil †Elaeagnus orchidioides flower is recorded from the late Pliocene of Willershausen (Kalefeld), Hesse, Germany.

There are two fossil wood records with extensive documentation of anatomical features: †Elaeagnus semiannulipora from the early Miocene of Yamagata, Japan and †EIeagnaceoxylon shepherdioides, considered similar to Shepherdia, from the Pliocene Beaufort Formation, northwestern Banks Island, Canada.

The diversification of Elaeagnus in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and adjacent areas might have been driven by continuous uplift at least since the late Miocene, causing formation of complex topography and climate with high rainfall seasonality.