Elaeagnus × Ebbingei
Elaeagnus × Ebbingei is a robust, fast-growing evergreen shrub that has become a garden favourite for good reason. With its silvery-green foliage, tolerance of challenging conditions, and versatility in the landscape, this hardy plant offers year-round interest and practical benefits that make it an excellent choice for gardens of all sizes.
Key Features
This attractive shrub typically reaches 3-4 metres in height with a similar spread, though it can be easily maintained at a smaller size through regular pruning. The oval leaves are particularly distinctive, with dark green upper surfaces and silvery-grey undersides that create a beautiful shimmering effect when caught by the breeze. In autumn, the plant produces small, inconspicuous silvery-white flowers that release a sweet, intense fragrance—often catching gardeners by surprise with their powerful scent. These are followed by small orange-red berries in spring.
Growing Conditions
One of the greatest strengths of Elaeagnus × Ebbingei is its remarkable adaptability. It thrives in most soil types, including poor, dry soils and even coastal locations where salt spray would damage more sensitive plants. The shrub performs well in full sun or partial shade, making it suitable for various positions in the garden. Once established, it demonstrates excellent drought tolerance and can withstand exposed, windy sites with ease.
Planting Your Bare Root Shrub
Bare root plants should ideally be planted between November and March, when they're dormant. Before planting, soak the roots in a bucket of water for a few hours to rehydrate them. Dig a hole roughly twice the width of the root system and deep enough so the soil mark on the stem sits at ground level. Mix some compost or well-rotted manure into the excavated soil, position the plant, backfill, and firm gently. Water thoroughly and keep well-watered during the first growing season whilst the roots establish.
Care and Maintenance
This is genuinely a low-maintenance plant. Once established, it requires minimal watering except during prolonged drought. Feed annually in spring with a general-purpose fertiliser or mulch with compost. Pruning can be carried out in late spring after any risk of hard frost has passed. The plant responds well to trimming and can be shaped into formal hedges or left to develop a more natural, informal habit. It tolerates hard pruning if renovation is needed.
Uses in the Garden
Elaeagnus × Ebbingei is wonderfully versatile. It makes an excellent evergreen hedge or screen, providing year-round privacy and wind protection. As a specimen shrub, it adds structure and architectural interest to mixed borders. The plant is also ideal for coastal gardens where many other species struggle. Wildlife benefits too—the flowers attract late-season pollinators, whilst the dense foliage provides nesting sites for birds.
Hardiness
Fully hardy throughout the UK (RHS Hardiness H5), this shrub tolerates temperatures down to -15°C once established, making it reliable even in colder regions.
Why Choose Bare Root?
Bare root plants are lifted from the field during their dormant season and supplied without pots or compost. They're more economical than container-grown specimens, establish quickly when planted at the correct time, and have a reduced environmental impact due to less plastic and transportation weight. With proper planting and care, bare root Elaeagnus will establish just as successfully as potted plants.
- For protection from pests consider Shrub Shelters.
- Please see our bare root plant guides for more information. We've put together a collect of help and advice articles covering what bare root plants are, why they are a good choice, which plants are available bare root, when and where to plant.
* Deciduous plants supplied bare root during the dormancy period will not have any leaves at this time; top growth will just be brown and twiggy to start with and will come into leaf in the spring. This is perfectly normal. The plants we supply are healthy will an extensive root system. Please see the final picture for an illustration of how your plants will look when they are delivered.
Bare Root is usually dispatched between early November and late March. Exact dates vary year to year depending on the weather. We cannot guarantee availability for a certain date at the beginning or end of the season.
Important Bare Root Care
As soon as you receive your bare root plants place the items upright in a bucket of clean water immediately leaving them for at least 2 hours. Only take plants out as you need them for planting.
Q: When is bare root season?
A: Our bare root season usually runs from November to March but it can depend on the weather conditions, we'd always recommend buying at the end of autumn rather than waiting for spring.
Q: Does the plant size include the roots?
A: No, all bare root plant sizes quoted exclude the roots.
Q: What size plants will I receive?
A: Stock size varies through the season, our 'Plant Size' are give as a guide and you will receive plants somewhere in that range. We are unable to specify exactly how tall the plants will be within that range.
Q: How old will the plants be?
A: Most of our 'Plant Sizes' include the age of the plant, this is shown as a sum e.g. 1+2 which in this case would indicate that the plants are 3 years old. The first number is how long the plant has spent in the seedbed and the second is the number of year it has spent lined out in the field. Where the sum starts with a 0+ this indicates that the plants were grown from a rooted cutting.
Q: Can I get a discount for bulk purchases?
A: We offer a discount banding on bare root plants making them cheaper the more you buy, see the table on each page for details of the price within each band.
Q: Do I need canes?
A: Bamboo canes are perfect for giving young saplings, hedging plants, climbers and other tall shrubs the support they need when they start to establish. Unless you are planting in a completely sheltered spot with very little chance of wind then we would always recommend using a cane for support.
Q: Do I need rabbit guards?
A: Spiral Rabbit Guards are the most popular, low cost tree protection for young saplings, seedlings, transplants and hedging plants from browsing animals such as voles, mice, rabbits and hares. Spiral Rabbit Guards have the ability to grow and expand with the growing tree, providing a sheltered environment for the tree. It's hard to say for certain if you will require the extra protection a rabbit guard provides, if your are aware of a particular pest problem in your planting location then we would recommend using them. Rabbit Guards are not suitable for 'evergreens' please see 'Shrub Shelters' for a suitable evergreen protection method.
Q: What is a shrub/tree shelter?
A: Shrub/Tree Shelters are similar to rabbit guards but are designed for use on evergreens that would sweat and die in rabbit guards. We supply shrub/tree shelters as a kit which includes the shelter, 1 Stake and 2 cable ties, one kit is required per plant.
Q: Do I need shrub/tree shelters?
A: If you are aware of any specific pest problems in your planting area then we would recommend using a shrub/tree shelter to give your young trees or hedging plants that extra protection.