Elaeagnus X Ebbingei Compacta (Compact form)

A frost, salt and wind hardy evergreen with a silvery bloom to its neat oval leaves.

As the name suggests, ‘compacta’ is a bantam-weight cultivar of the other stalwart hybrid Elaeagnus x Ebbingei which we love so much. No less sturdy or versatile, like its taller sibling it makes superb topiary or a quick-forming hedge (nothing good happens really fast, but if planted around 60cm / 2ft apart you’ll see some impressive, albeit more compact results before you know it) Clipped into characterful bobbles and blobs, or strict spheres if you’re a neat freak, it takes a vigorous trim on the chin so we do like to have fun with this one.

Did we mention that you’ll get a peppering of very fragrant flowers too? Quite unusually it flowers on old wood so flowering is unaffected by all that clipping. The blooms themselves won’t knock your socks off but their scent is powerful and very welcome in late autumn and winter.

A tremendously reliable plant, this one. Can be grown in any position in any soil. Smashing choice for a garden by the seaside but it is hardy almost anywhere.

N.B. When clipping several plants with the same tool, have a bucket containing a 5% bleach solution and swish your blades around for 30 seconds between plants to sterilise them. This will help avoid the chance of cross contamination of disease.

As with all woody plants, plant high, exposing as much of the taper at the base of the trunk as possible. Allowing soil to accumulate round the base of a tree can be fatal. Keep very well watered when first planted.