Ebbing’s Silverberry

Ebbing's Silverberry (Elaeagnus x ebbingei) is the hedge for a site that defeats other hedges. It grows to about 3m tall and 3m wide, evergreen and dense, with olive green leaves backed in silver that flash when the wind moves through them. It handles frost, drought, salt, wind and poor soil, which is a rare combination in one plant.

Why you'll love it

• It copes where others sulk. Frost hardy, drought tolerant, salt tolerant, wind tolerant and happy in poor soil, so exposed and neglected ground is not a problem.
• Scent you smell before you see. The small cream autumn flowers hide under the leaves, yet the fragrance carries right across a garden.
• Silver backed foliage. Evergreen leaves with a metallic silver reverse, so the hedge changes tone every time the breeze turns them over.
• Edible fruit. Small red fruit follows the flowers and is edible when fully ripe, which is a bonus most hedging plants cannot offer.
• Fast and forgiving. A fast growing, low maintenance shrub that takes hard trimming and reshoots readily.

Where it works best

Hedging. Plant 1m apart in a single row for a dense hedge. Two trims a year will hold it anywhere between 1.5m and 3m.

Windbreaks. Wind tolerance is one of its genuine strengths. A double staggered row at 1m spacing filters wind through the planting rather than forcing it over the top.

Coastal gardens. Salt tolerance and tough foliage make it a workhorse on seaside blocks where softer hedges burn off.

Growing Ebbing's Silverberry in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun for the densest growth, part shade accepted. It belongs in cool temperate, warm temperate and Mediterranean gardens, and it is frost hardy, so cold southern and tableland districts suit it well. It is not a plant for the humid tropics.

Soil. Poor soil tolerant and genuinely unfussy about type, provided drainage is reasonable. On heavy clay, mound the row and open the ground up with compost before planting.

Water and feed. Water twice weekly through the first summer to establish it, after which it needs very little. Feed lightly in early spring only; rich feeding produces soft growth that spoils the hedge line.

Pruning. Tip prune from planting to thicken the base. Trim in late spring and again in midsummer, and stop by early autumn so you do not cut off the flower buds and lose the season's fragrance.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in two sizes. The 300mm pot is a well branched young shrub and the sensible choice for a long hedge run, since a row of smaller plants closes faster than you expect. The 70L is an advanced plant carrying real height and structure on day one, for a short screen you want finished now.

Some leaf drop after transit is normal rather than a fault. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Expect the hedge to close within two to three seasons at 1m spacing, all under our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Read how to create a great hedge and keep it sharp.
• Compare the wider hedging and screening range.
• Browse other plants for windbreaks.
• See more coastal and salt tolerant plants.

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a hedge?

One metre apart in a single row. Closer planting does not close the hedge any faster and makes watering the row harder in the first summer.

How high can I keep it?

Anywhere from about 1.5m up to its natural 3m. It reshoots from old wood, so a hedge that has been allowed to run can be cut back hard and rebuilt.

Is the fruit worth eating?

It is edible once fully ripe and soft, with a tart flavour. Pick it late, because underripe fruit is astringent.

Will it grow in a hot humid climate?

It is suited to cool temperate, warm temperate and Mediterranean gardens rather than the humid subtropics or tropics. In high humidity the foliage does not hold as well.