Elaeagnus

Elaeagnus

In the Netherlands, in addition to the original name, we have two other names for the Elaeagnus Ebbingei: the olive willow and the silverberry. These cause the necessary confusion. The olive willow is not an olive tree and has nothing to do with the tree where those delicious olives come from. The name silverberry suggests that we are dealing here with a prunus, a berry bush. Which is not the case, despite the fact that red berries will grow. The fact is whatever name you use, we understand which beautiful hedge plant you mean anyway and that's the point.

A hedge of olive willow or Elaeagnus can reach a height of 1.60 meters to 1.80 meters. Are you very fond of your privacy? Keep in mind that the olive willow hedge is not immediately visible. That will take a few years. But the more you prune, the faster it will go. Then you will soon find yourself behind a beautiful, evergreen hedge and close out prying eyes for 365 and sometimes 366 days.

Why should you choose an olive willow hedge?

• The Elaeagnus Ebbingei is green all year round.
• The plant is hardy.
• The olive willow is an easy hedge plant that does not require any special care.
• It is resistant to wind and salt.
• The hedge plant can be pruned well and if you skip it once, there is no a man overboard.
• Beautiful white flowers appear in autumn, followed by red berries.
• The flowers also spread a pleasant scent in the spring.
• You can even eat the berries of the silver currant. As a result, many birds will also visit your garden.
• You can use it to create a formal hedge or if you prefer: an informal hedge.
• It grows in almost any location, but sun or partial shade is best.

When is the best time to plant an Elaeagnus Ebbingei hedge?

This olive willow can be planted all year round. Unless it is freezing or snowing.

How do you plant a hedge of this beautiful Eleagnus silverberry?

1. It may make sense, but make the soil completely weed-free.
2. Before digging, stretch a rope between two posts along the entire length where the hedge will be placed. In this way you put the hedge plants in a straight line. That gives the best result.
3. Dig a trench about 8 inches wider than the root ball of the plants. Make sure that you make the trench deep enough: the roots should fit easily into the dug trench. If you look at the root ball you can find out how deep the plants were in the ground at Hedge Plants Heijnen. Keep that altitude.
4. Loosen the soil in the trench well so that it is well drained.
5. Sprinkle a good layer of planting soil in the trench or mix the original soil with compost or a soil improver. For a bit of a better start.
6. First place the plants along the trench, exactly where you want to plant them. Satisfied with the distribution? Then place the hedge plants in the trench. In the center and upright.
7. Then fill the trench with soil and press it gently with your foot.
8. Water the olive willow generously after planting.

Tips

Water your Eleagnus Silverberry regularly for the first few months after planting it. Keep this up until the hedge starts. After that, you only water in dry periods. Pour the water directly into the root ball. In this way the roots of the plant can immediately absorb the water.

The best time to fertilize the hedge is from April to September. It's enough to do that once a year. Do this after you first prune the plants. Use a fertilizer that has been specially developed for fertilizing hedge plants.

Placement

We wrote it before: you can always plant the olive willow, just not when it is freezing or snowing. But you probably don't intend to plant the hedge plants in that cold weather either.

How many plants you need per linear meter depends on the size of the plant, but also on your preference. Let us advise you.

Advice & Care

• Have you just planted the Eleagnus silverberry? Then give the hedge enough water for a long time until it starts to grow.
• Only water the olive willow extra during dry periods.
• Prune the hedge plant once or twice a year, whatever you like. If you like a tight hedge, we recommend that you prune it twice a year. For example in March and then again in August or September. If you are going to prune the hedge more often - which in itself is possible - keep in mind that no red berries will appear after flowering in autumn.
• Fertilize the plants once a year between April and September.

Treating known plant conditions

The silver berry is generally a very healthy plant. It rarely, if ever, shows signs of weakness or illness. It can, however, lose its leaves or even become completely bare. When will this be the case? If the hedge plant is exposed to high humidity or severe drought for a long time, it will lose leaves. This can get so bad that it goes completely bare. It is therefore of the utmost importance to make sure that it is neither too wet nor too dry. The plant can also lose its leaves in very severe frost. It is therefore advisable to cover the plants when it starts to freeze heavily.

Advantages and disadvantages of the olive willow

Advantages

• (Sea) wind or salt the plant can withstand well.
• Under normal circumstances it is evergreen and hardy.
• The Elaeagnus Ebbingei grows in almost any location.
• It has a nice, large leaf.
• You create both a formal and an informal hedge with it.
• The olive willow produces fragrant flowers and striking fruits that attract birds.

Disadvantages

• The plant is not evergreen in severe frost.
• The hedge plant will lose its leaves if the soil is too wet or too dry.

Conclusion

Whether you live on the coast or somewhere inland, this beautiful hedge plant with white, fragrant flowers in autumn and red berries in the months after, will look great in your garden.
Do not hesitate, buy this olive willow and enjoy the green hedge with sometimes red and sometimes white accents.
Do you have any questions? Please do not hesitate to contact us.