Elaeagnus ebbengei

Elaeagnus ebbingei is a robust, fast-growing evergreen hedge valued for its reliability, tolerance and discreet autumn fragrance. Thick, leathery green leaves with silvery undersides create a dense screen that thrives in sun or shade, including dry shade, and it copes well with coastal winds and exposed positions. Small, creamy-white, powerfully scented flowers appear in autumn, followed by ornamental red-speckled fruits in spring. Ideal for year-round privacy and windbreaks, it clips neatly into formal lines or looser, architectural screens. If left untrimmed it can reach around 34m in height and a similar spread; regular clipping easily maintains a narrower hedge.

Feeding time: spring Trimming time: spring

To help give a clear sense of scale, the stone wall shown in our photos measures approximately 265cm in height. We also use familiar garden tools as visual references: a digging fork (110cm tall) and a hand fork (30cm tall). These are included purely as size guides to help you better judge proportions when viewing the images.

Position: Sun, light shade or shade Rate of Growth: Fast Soil: Most well-drained soils; sandy, loam or clay; chalk-tolerant Hardiness: Fully hardy Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Plant at a Glance

light:sun
light:light-shade
light:shade
facing:east
facing:west
facing:north
facing:south
soiltype:moderate-fertile
soiltype:light-sandy
soiltype:heavy-clay
soiltype:chalky
soilmoisture:normal
soilmoisture:dry-sandy
foliage:evergreen
flowering:october
flowering:november
flowercolour:white
leafcolour:green
size:2m-5m
gardenstyle:formal
gardenstyle:architectural
fragrance:all-scented
specialconditions:tolerates-drought
specialconditions:exposed-positions
specialconditions:dry-sun
specialconditions:dry-shade
specialconditions:coastal-conditions