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Elaeagnus x ebbingei - Boom.

Elaeagnus

Author	Boom.	Botanical references	11, 200
Family	Elaeagnaceae	Genus	Elaeagnus
Synonyms
Known Hazards	None known
Range	A garden hybrid, E. macrophylla x E. pungens or E. x. reflexa.
Habitat	Not known in the wild.
Edibility Rating	5 (1-5)	Medicinal Rating	2 (1-5)

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen Shrub growing to 5m by 5m at a medium rate.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, requires well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in full shade (deep woodland) semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure.

Habitats

Woodland Garden; Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Shady Edge; Deep Shade; Hedge; North Wall In; East Wall In; South Wall In; West Wall In;

Cultivars: (as above except)
'Aurea'
'Coastal Gold'
'Gilt Edge'
'Limelight'
'Salcombe Seedling'
'Southern Seedling'
'The Hague'

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Fruit; Seed.

Fruit - raw or cooked[177]. A reasonable size, it is about 20mm long and 13mm wide although it does have a large seed[K]. The fully ripe fruit has a very rich flavour and makes pleasant tasting with a slight acidity[K]. The fruit should be deep red in colour and very soft when it is fully ripe, otherwise it will be astringent[K]. The flavour improves further if the fruit is stored for a day or two after being picked. The fruit ripens intermittently over a period of about 6 weeks from early to mid April until May[K]. Seed - raw or cooked. It can be eaten with the fruit though the seed case is rather fibrous[K]. The taste is vaguely like peanuts[K].

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

Cancer.

The fruit of many members of this genus is a very rich source of vitamins and minerals, especially in vitamins A, C and E, flavanoids and other bio-active compounds. It is also a fairly good source of essential fatty acids, which is fairly unusual for a fruit. It is being investigated as a food that is capable of reducing the incidence of cancer and also as a means of halting or reversing the growth of cancers[214].

Other Uses

Hedge.

Plants can be grown as a hedge in very exposed positions, tolerating maritime exposure. The plants provide a very good protection from the wind, they are very resistant to damage by salt winds and are also tolerant of regular trimming[75]. They have a strong vigorous growth and are faster growing than E. macrophylla[75, 200]. Because they fix atmospheric nitrogen, they make good companion plants and improve the growth of neighbouring species[K]. They can be planted in the line of an old shelterbelt of trees that is becoming bare at the base and will in time fill up the empty spaces and climb into the bottom parts of the trees[K].

Scented Plants

Flowers: Fresh

The flowers are sweetly and heavily scented.

Cultivation details

A very easily grown plant, it succeeds in most soils that are well-drained[11, 200]. Prefers a soil that is only moderately fertile, succeeding in poor soils and in dry soils[11, 200]. A drought resistant plant once established, it can be grown on top of Cornish hedges (drystone walls with earth between two vertical layers of stones). It is very tolerant of shade and grows well under trees[200]. Plants are very tolerant of maritime exposure, growing well right by the coast[K]. Plants are hardy to about -20°c, but they can be deciduous in very cold winters[200]. Fruiting as it does in early April to May, this plant has excellent potential as a commercial fruit crop in Britain. The fruit is of a reasonable size and when fully ripe is very acceptable for dessert[K]. It should be fairly easy to selectively breed for improved fruit size and flavour[K]. Not all plants bear many fruits, though many specimens have been seen that produce very heavy crops on a regular basis[K]. Since this is a hybrid species, yields may be improved by growing a selection of cultivars or one of the parent plants nearby for cross pollination. E. pungens is perhaps the best candidate for this and its cultivar E. pungens 'Variegata' has been seen on a number of occasions with good crops of fruit next to E. x ebbingei plants that are also laden with fruit[K]. The cultivar E. x ebbingei 'Gilt Edge' is also probably a good pollinator[K]. Other cultivars worth looking at are 'Salcombe Seedling', which is said to flower more abundantly than the type[200] and 'Limelight', which has been seen with a good crop of fruits even on small bushes[K]. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[200]. An excellent companion plant, when grown in orchards it can increase yields from the fruit trees by up to 10%. Plants produce very aromatic flowers in late autumn and early winter[182]. This species is notably resistant to honey fungus[88, 200]. Sometimes whole branches die out for no apparent reason. This happens most frequently when it is grafted onto E. multiflora[182]. These branches should be removed from the plant.

Propagation

Seed - this is a hybrid and it will not breed true from seed. If this is not a problem, then the seed is best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame[78]. It should germinate freely within 4 weeks, though it may take 18 months[K]. Stored seed can be very slow to germinate, often taking more than 18 months. A warm stratification for 4 weeks followed by 12 weeks cold stratification can help[98]. The seed usually (eventually) germinates quite well[78]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pot as soon as they are large enough to handle and plant out when they are at least 15cm tall. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 7 - 10cm with a heel, July/August in a frame. Rather slow, but you usually get a good percentage rooting[78]. June is the best time to take cuttings[202]. Cuttings of mature wood of the current year's growth, 10 - 12cm with a heel, November in a frame. Leave for 12 months. Fair to good percentage[78]. Layering in September/October. Takes 12 months[78].

Cultivars

'Aurea'

'Coastal Gold'

'Gilt Edge'

This cultivar has been seen on a number of occasions with good crops of fruit. On these occasions it has always been close to E. x ebbingei and has sometimes also had E. pungens 'Variegata' growing nearby with a reasonable set of fruit[K].

'Limelight'

This cultivar has variegated foliage and is slower-growing than the type species. It also has larger fruits than the type, a one year cutting less than 25cm tall had 15 good sized almost ripe fruits on it in early March, it had probably spent at least some of the winter indoors[K]. A large shrub at Hilliers Arboretum was flowering very heavily in mid-September 1994[K]. Since this is a hybrid species yields may be improved by growing one of the parent plants nearby for cross pollination. E. pungens is perhaps the best candidate for this[K].

'Salcombe Seedling'

'Southern Seedling'

'The Hague'

Links

This plant is also mentioned in the following PFAF articles: PFAF: Fruit - Food of the Gods, Alternative fruits, Elaeagnus x ebbingei - A Plant for all Reasons., Why Perennials, Woodland Garden Plants, Plants for Problem Places - North Facing Walls and Deep Shade, The Woodland Edge Garden.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[75] Rosewarne experimental horticultural station. Shelter Trees and Hedges. Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 1984
A small booklet packed with information on trees and shrubs for hedging and shelterbelts in exposed maritime areas.

[78] Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.

[88] RHS. The Garden. Volume 112. Royal Horticultural Society 1987
Snippets of information from the magazine of the RHS. In particular, there are articles on plants that are resistant to honey fungus, oriental vegetables, Cimicifuga spp, Passiflora species and Cucurbits.

[98] Gordon. A. G. and Rowe. D. C. f. Seed Manual for Ornamental Trees and Shrubs. 0
Very comprehensive guide to growing trees and shrubs from seed. Not for the casual reader.

[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984 ISBN 3874292169
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.

[182] Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray 1992 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2
Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[202] Davis. B. Climbers and Wall Shrubs. Viking. 1990 ISBN 0-670-82929-3
Contains information on 2,000 species and cultivars, giving details of cultivation requirements. The text is terse but informative.

[214] Matthews. V. The New Plantsman. Volume 1, 1994. Royal Horticultural Society 1994 ISBN 1352-4186
A quarterly magazine, it has articles on Himalayacalamus hookerianus, hardy Euphorbias and an excellent article on Hippophae spp.

Readers Comments

Plants for a Future does not verify the accuracy of reader comments, use at your own risk. In particular Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. You should always consult a professional before using plants medicinally.

Elaeagnus x ebbingei

david nicholls Thu Oct 12 23:16:07 2000

I think this may the best performing plant so far on my ridiculously gale battered place, I've trialed about 150 reputedly coastal plants (it is still early days). This seems to be virtually the only species that actually makes progress during gales while virtually everything else gets cut back, including E. pungens. Only hail at around 100 k/hr made a dent, tore leaves more than on some things.

I think I have PFF mainly to thank for info on edibility, but would hate to admit that. I wonder if its' obsurity has anything to do with the awkward name it would never work in supermarkets (I suppose cafe society might think it is Italian or sophisticated) how about "Binge fruit",bingey, Bingy , bing, bingj ?

Haven't tasted it yet.

Elaeagnus x ebbingei

Klaus Wed Jun 6 21:39:00 2001

After we planted 4 e.x ebbingei in spring `00, in autumn we planted another 4 e.x e."gilt edge". The latter all didn`t survive the winter with -10° to -15°C. So maybe this variety isn`t as hardy as the species.

Elaeagnus x ebbingei - A Plant for all Reasons.

Mike Hardman Fri Nov 2 18:04:24 2001

I have seen thickets of a species of Elaeagnus growing in gently rolling hills west of Calgary, Canada. I do not know which species it was, but I thought I'd mention it since there has been mention here of doubts about hardiness of X ebbingei in the far north of the UK (I am thinking of my sister in Caithness). Maybe there is scope for crossing with this Canadian species - which must be darn hardy. Oh, the species I saw had plain silvery leaves and grew about 9ft tall, spreading by suckers.

Elaeagnus x ebbingei - A Plant for all Reasons.

Dave Wed Jun 15 21:15:35 2005

The plant you saw growing near Calgary was almost certainly Elaeagnus commutata, aka "Wolf Willow" (though not a willow at all). Drought hardy, and excellent fodder for birds; invasive, to some, but aren't we all?

Elaeagnus x ebbingei

Graham Strouts Thu Dec 29 2005

Ive planted hundreds of E. ebbingei in various parts of the West of Ireland as a useful hedging plant- certainly very tough and good by the sea also, but have hardly ever seen ANY fruits and NEVER have I seen the large crops desribed by PFAF.This includes observations of mature existing hedges and in a wide variety of soils etc.. At my own place in West Cork, I am also planting the last 4 years other varieties- E.umbellata, E.angustifolia, variegated varities etc but no success. I notice in David Jacke's new book "Edible Forest Gardens" E.umbellata E.angustifolia are listed as potentially invasive species; E.ebbingei doesnt seem to get a mention at all. I still live in hope!

Elaeagnus x ebbingei

m.bruce Wed Sep 26 2007

Is gilt edge invasive? I live in zone 7 (MD) and would very much like 2 plant a hedge. MB

Elaeagnus x ebbingei

roberta carradine Wed May 21 2008

I have just inherited a garden with a substantial Eleagnus x ebbingei its growing through a magnolia tree about 15 ft high. it has fruits on it today 20 may 08 i shall prune it back a bit after i have picked the fruits which are very red because it is covering the route to my bicycle ! what a great find and addition to my new forest garden which remains containerised since my house move three weeks ago. best wishes

Elaeagnus x ebbingei

sean mc cullagh Wed Jun 4 2008

I have planted this shrub on a heavy graafwater shale based soil in Cape Town in a hot north facing slope position. climate mediterranean. With minimal summer irrigation it has after 5 years reached 2 meters in height bearing over what seems a very long period 3-4 months masses of the most delightfully fragrant tiny flowers which somehow resemble at first glance the blooms of the strawberry tree,arbutus unedo. In the more inland northern suberbs, growing in deep poor sandy soil I have seen the odd large spreading 4m shrub.It is not very well known here due probably to its somewhat slowish growth and lack of showy flowers. In my opinion though the ebbingei with its lovly greensilver makes a good specimen for the middle to large sized garden, the perfume being a bonus . Berries I have never seen. The array of variegated ones do have their place in the garden to bring patches of sun to dark areas, but should be used with great discretion or else the gold, depending on your taste may appear a bit harsh. this can be toned down by using cooler colours as neighbour plants.

Elaeagnus x ebbingei

Lewis Lay Mon Nov 24 2008

I planted an Elaeagnus ebbingei last autumn but it has not flowered at all this year. How long will it be before it flowers?

Elaeagnus x ebbingei - A Plant for all Reasons

Janaki Sun Feb 1 2009

One Green World nursery in Oregon sells Elaeagnus x ebbingei as "hybrid silverberry" and E. pungens 'Aureo-maculata' as "golden silverberry". I ordered one of each as the shrubs are said to grow in the dense shade of my mature black walnut. I hope for fruit, but will be grateful for any plant to flourish there.Heres how i remember the shrub's name: I will call her Ellie Agnes. Thank you so much for your greatly informative website.

One Green World Nursery

Elaeagnus x ebbingei

maddalena Sun Oct 11 2009

I'm so happy I have discovered which was the plant with its tiny hidden white avorio flowers, I only could smell a profumo on a pista ciclabile and did not know where it came from, it goes to the heart, I will plant one in my garden along the boundary with a neighbor I do not like too much

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