Elaeagnus ebbingei Viveleg - Oleaster

The Elaeagnus ebbingei 'Viveleg' is an improvement of the variety 'Gilt Edge', with exceptional vigour and foliage that is dark green, beautifully margined with golden yellow to cream. Its variegation is one of the most stable of the species. With rapid growth, this evergreen bush develops an erect and compact habit of medium size in just a few years, bearing small white-cream flowers pleasantly scented in autumn. It is a variety particularly well suited for the formation of dense hedges, effectively protecting against wind and decorative in all seasons. Hardy and resistant to salt spray and drought, it is useful in coastal gardens and drier regions.

The 'Viveleg' cultivar shows rapid growth, good hardiness, and good resistance to summer drought. It forms a highly branched bush with an erect, dense, and compact habit, rarely exceeding 2.50m (6.6ft) in height and 1.50m (3.3ft) in spread. Its evergreen foliage consists of tough, entire, lanceolate leaves, dark green bordered by bright golden yellow on the upper side, and pearly almond green with small bronze dots underneath. The young stems are intensely dotted with bronze brown, as are the juvenile leaves in spring. The insignificant flowers appear in the axils of the leaves from September to November. They are deliciously honey-scented and nectar-rich. They give way to small elongated oval fruits, copper-coloured when ripe, containing an oily seed. These fruits, rich in vitamins and antioxidants, are edible for humans and appreciated by birds. Elaeagnus plants have a unique root system that has the ability to enrich the soil, much like the roots of legumes.

The 'Viveleg' Elaeagnus stands out from a distance throughout the year due to the intense contrast between the dark green surfaces of its leaves and their bright golden-yellow margins. It announces its presence in autumn with the pleasant scent of its small flowers hidden under the foliage. Its erect habit and medium size make it a perfect plant for forming dense hedges, and it is also very easy to use in most regions due to its good hardiness, around -15°C (5°F). It has a place in a coastal or dry garden. As it tolerates pruning well, it can be used very effectively in a mixed or evergreen hedge, in the company of other beautiful shrubs such as Abelia x grandiflora, Arbutus unedo, Buddleia alternifolia, or even Rhamnus alaternus Argenteovariegata. Note that its drought resistance allows it to be grown in poor, even rocky soils.

The fruits of Elaeagnus ebbingei, oval and orange, 2cm (0.8in) long, are edible and very rich in vitamins and minerals. They are harvested in late winter or spring, once they are fully ripe. Pruning the shrub in late summer will compromise autumn flowering and fruit production.