Which Elaeagnus should I choose for a hedge?

Elaeagnus ebbingei - Chalef de Ebbing, evergreen, silvery-green foliage.

L’Elaeagnus ebbingei – Chalef de Ebbing is regarded as an excellent bush for hedges. Its evergreen foliage is composed of dark green leaves with a metallic sheen on the upper surface and silver on the underside. In autumn, it bears a flowering of creamy-white, bell-shaped flowers with a sweet fragrance from September to November. After the flowers appear, edible fruits follow. Very dense, it grows quickly and in all soil types, whether poor, mediocre, saline, dry, or slightly calcareous. It responds well to pruning and reaches a height of 3 metres at maturity. Very hardy, easy to grow, it is ideal for forming a hedge, whether clipped or left to grow.

In a hedge, pair this Elaeagnus with other shrubs with coloured foliage, such as the Cornus or the Aucubas with variegated foliage.

Elaeagnus ebbingei 'Limelight' – Ebbinge's Chalef, green foliage variegated with yellow.

Elaeagnus ebbingei ‘Limelight’ – Ebbinge’s Oleaster is a cultivar of Ebbinge’s Oleaster, bearing bright foliage, green with yellow variegation and evergreen. Its leathery, glossy leaves are maculated with yellow at the centre and edged with pale green. It bears cream-white flowers that are highly fragrant, attracting pollinating insects in autumn. The fruits, which follow, resemble small olives, coppery and silvery in colour. Fast-growing and adaptable to all soil types, it can reach up to 3 metres tall. It tolerates pruning well and makes an excellent hedge shrub.

Pair it with other evergreen-leaved shrubs to create a hedge that will serve as refugium for small animals and garden birds. You can, for example, pair it with Photinia fraseri ‘Red Robbin’, laurustinus, strawberry trees and Cotoneasters.

Elaeagnus x ebbingei 'Viveleg' – Chalef, with dark green and golden-yellow variegated foliage.

Elaeagnus x ebbingei ‘Viveleg’ has the advantage of having dark green evergreen foliage margined with golden yellow and being more vigorous than the variety ‘Gilt Edge’, of which it is an improvement. It grows rapidly to 2.50 metres at maturity and features an upright, compact habit. It bears cream-white, nectariferous and fragrant flowering in autumn. It also produces small edible, oval fruits, which turn coppery at maturity. Easy to grow, it is perfect for forming an informal, dense hedge that provides wind protection and remains decorative all year round. Hardy, it withstands sea spray as well as drought.

Use it to establish a mixed or evergreen hedge, mingling it with Abelia grandiflora ‘Semperflorens’, as well as to butterfly trees – Buddleia alternifolia.

Elaeagnus umbellata – Autumn Olive, for a rustic hedge or fruit hedge.

Also known as autumn olive, Elaeagnus umbellata – Autumn olive is a large bush that can reach a height of 4 metres at maturity. If its green foliage with silver-grey undersides is deciduous, it has some of the most fragrant flowers among Elaeagnus. Cream-coloured flowers appear in May. It also bears small, round, red fruits, speckled with silver and which are edible and of high nutritional value. They resemble currants dusted with sugar. Very hardy, this bush will tolerate all soil types, even if dry and poor, and prefers sun or partial shade. It quickly forms a sizeable tree and sits nicely in a cottage garden hedge or a fruit hedge.

In a cottage hedge, pair it with an Amelanchier spicata with its beautiful white flowering in racemes and bearing juicy, sweet berries, as well as with other fruiting shrubs.

Elaeagnus pungens 'Hosuba Fukurin' – Chalef, variegated foliage, green and cream-white

Ornamental shrub not exceeding 2.5 metres in height, the Elaeagnus pungens ‘Hosuba Fukurin’ – Chalef blends easily into a hedge. It captivates with its evergreen foliage variegated with green margins edged in cream. The young shoots are orange-brown and, on occasion, bear thorns. In autumn, the foliage is adorned with pendant flowers of a silvery-white colour and lightly scented. Then come oval fruits, dark red in colour with a cherry-like flavour, which can be eaten. Very hardy, it has a globose and ramified habit. Easy to grow, it adapts to any well-drained soil, sandy, even dry and lime-free. It can be planted in full sun or partial shade.

In a hedge, you can create striking contrasts by pairing it with Tamarix and Olearia.

Further reading

You can browse our full range of Elaeagnus, as well as our detailed guide to growing and maintaining Elaeagnus.