Elaeagnus ebbingei - Oleaster Silverberry

The Elaeagnus x ebbingei or Ebbing's Silverberry is an excellent evergreen hedge plant. This bush is appreciated for the beauty of the silvery underside of its leaves, as well as for the sweet fragrance of its autumn flowering, made up of white-cream bell-shaped flowers, followed by edible fruits. This very dense bush grows quickly, even in poor, salty, slightly chalky and dry soil, and it tolerates pruning well.  Depending on your budget, the length of your hedge, your patience, and the time you can devote to gardening, different types of this shrub are available to you.

- For an economical silverberry hedge, opt for 9cm pots that you can plant all year round. The soil preparation should be meticulous (careful weeding, removal of all roots, planting trench), and it is preferable to place a weed suppressant at the base of the bushes to limit the germination of weeds until they are established. Once established, they grow quickly and will soon catch up with their cultivated counterparts in larger pots. This is the most economical solution when it comes to creating a hedge of at least 10 meters in length.

- For a fast-growing silverberry hedge or to fill in an existing hedge, your choice will be bushes in 2/3 litre, 5 litre, or even 7.5 litre pots. Potted shrubs can be planted all year round, except during frost or heat waves. They are planted in individual planting holes, like all other shrubs in the garden. While they make an immediate impact, they take a little longer to establish and will require more frequent and regular watering, especially when it is dry in summer.

Respect the proper planting distance according to the size of your plant! It is advisable to provide a space of 60cm (23.6in) between each plant for shrubs in pots, 70 to 80cm (31.5in) for plants in 2 or 3 litre pots, and 80cm (31.5in) to 1m for pots from 4 to 10 litres.

The Elaeagnus x ebbingei or Ebbing's Silverberry is a hybrid bush resulting from the cross-breeding of Elaeagnus macrophylla and Elaeagnus pungens. With a dense and bushy habit, it grows rapidly. It blooms throughout autumn. The small flowers, creamy white and silvery, are clustered in the axils of the leaves. These bell-shaped flowers measure 1 to 2cm (0.8in) long and consist of 4 petals. They are followed by berries measuring 1 to 3cm (1.2in) long.

The foliage of this Silverberry is evergreen in winter. It consists of elliptical leaves, 6 to 10cm (3.9in) long. They are dark green with metallic reflections on the upper side and silvery on the underside. These are alternate leaves that renew themselves at the end of winter. Elaeagnus ebbingei reaches a height and width of 2 to 4m (13.1ft). Its nectar-producing flowering attracts bees.

It is an ideal bush for coastal areas thanks to its tolerance to sea spray. Very hardy, not demanding in terms of water and soil, it is perfectly suitable for creating a hedge, whether trimmed or not. It also serves as a good windbreak. You can also plant it in groups in flower beds or as a standalone in decorative containers on balconies and terraces, or as topiaries.