Elaeagnus ebbingei Maryline - Oleaster

Elaeagnus x submacrophylla Maryline abrela is a beautiful variety of oleaster recently obtained, which stands out for the brightness of its foliage strongly marked with light yellow and edged with dark green, whose intensity varies throughout the seasons. It forms a beautiful evergreen bush, with particularly harmonious and bushy growth, which flowers in autumn, producing small, insignificant, fragrant, white-cream flowers. Elegant and original but not very hardy, it is best suited for mild climates. It will be perfect in a hedge or in a large container, planted in soil well-drained in summer, even in partial shade and by the seaside.

The variegated oleaster Maryline abrela belongs to the Elaeagnaceae family, just like the Eleagnus from which it originates. The latter is a horticultural hybrid that appeared in a garden, through the spontaneous cross-breeding of Eleagnus macrophylla and Eleagnus pungens (possibly Eleagnus reflexa), both native to Japan.

The Maryline cultivar (abrela), recently introduced to the market by Sapho, shows fairly rapid growth, but less hardiness than its parent. It forms a branched, dense and compact bush, reaching 2m (6 ft 7 in) to 2.50m (8 ft 2 in) in all directions in a few years. Its foliage is generally evergreen in mild climates and composed of tough, entire, lanceolate leaves, of a more or less light yellow, splashed with light green and with dark green margins. They are carried by dark brown branches. The new shoots elongate very quickly in spring, of a silver-reflecting rust colour that is very ornamental. The insignificant flowers appear at the axils of the leaves, from September to November. They are delicately scented and nectar-rich.

A Maryline Oleaster bush stands out from afar, due to the brightness of its foliage. Its good branching and harmonious growth make it a perfect plant for containers, but also very easy to use in a seaside garden or a dry garden, in regions with mild winters. As it tolerates pruning well, it can be used very effectively in a mixed or evergreen hedge, in the company of 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.

The fruits of this Elaeagnus are oval and orange, 2 cm (0.8 in) long, edible and very rich in vitamins and minerals. They are harvested in late winter or spring, once they are fully ripe. Pruning the bush at the end of summer will compromise the autumn flowering and fruit production.