Elaeagnus ebbingei Compacta - Oleaster

Elaeagnus ebbingei 'Compacta' is a variety of oleaster that stands out for its particularly dense and bushy habit and more moderate growth compared to the usual species. It quickly forms a beautiful evergreen bush with silvery green foliage that flowers in autumn, producing small inconspicuous white cream flowers with a pleasant fragrance, followed by edible fruits. Elegant, undemanding, and robust, it will be perfect in a hedge or large container, planted in well-drained soil, even in partial shade and by the seaside.

'Compacta' belongs to the Elaeagnaceae family, just like Eleagnus ebbingei from which it originates. The latter is a horticultural hybrid that appeared in a garden, resulting from the spontaneous cross-breeding of Eleagnus macrophylla and E. pungens (possibly E. reflexa), both native to Japan.

This cultivar shows rapid growth, good hardiness, and good resistance to summer drought. It forms a highly branched, rounded, dense, and compact bush, rarely exceeding 2 m (6.6 ft) in height and 1.5 m (4.9 ft) in width. Its evergreen foliage consists of tough, entire, lanceolate leaves with a green-grey colour, beautifully silvered at the beginning of the season on the upper side, and a pearly almond green colour punctuated with small bronze dots on the underside. The young shoots are intensely speckled with bronze-brown, just like the juvenile leaves in spring. The new shoots rapidly elongate in spring, with a rust-coloured, highly ornamental silvery sheen. Insignificant flowers appear in the axils of the leaves from September to November. They are delicately scented, highly honey-yielding and nectar-rich. They give way to small, elongated oval fruits, copper-coloured when ripe, containing an oily seed. These fruits, rich in vitamins and antioxidants, are edible for humans and appreciated by birds. Elaeagnus plants have a peculiar root system that has the ability to enrich the soil, similar to what legume roots do.

An Elaeagnus bush is noticeable from afar, particularly in spring, due to the silvery sheen of its foliage. It announces its presence in autumn with the pleasant fragrance of its small flowers hidden under the foliage. Its good branching and compact growth make it a perfect plant for container cultivation, but also very easy to use in most regions due to its good hardiness, around -15° C (5° F). It fits perfectly in a seaside garden or a dry garden. As it tolerates pruning well, it can be used in a mixed or evergreen hedge, alongside other beautiful shrubs such as Abelia x grandiflora, Arbutus unedo, Amelanchier ovalis, Buddleia alternifolia 'Argentea', or Cistus laurifolius. Note that its drought resistance allows it to be grown in poor, even rocky soils.

Its oval and orange fruits, measuring 2 cm (0.8 in) in length, are edible and very rich in vitamins and minerals. They are harvested in late winter or spring, once they are fully ripe. Pruning the bush in late summer will compromise autumn flowering and fruit production.