Elaeagnus × ebbingei 'Compacta' – Compact Evergreen Hedging Shrub
Elaeagnus × ebbingei 'Compacta' – Compact Evergreen Hedging Shrub
Elaeagnus × ebbingei ‘Compacta’ – Compact Evergreen Hedging Shrub
Elaeagnus × ebbingei ‘Compacta’ is a refined, more restrained form of one of the most reliable and versatile of all evergreen hedging shrubs. It produces the same handsome, leathery foliage — deep glossy green above, silvery beneath — and the same intensely fragrant, small creamy-white flowers in autumn, but in a tighter, denser habit that is easier to manage and ideal for smaller spaces. Exceptionally tough, wind-resistant, and salt-tolerant, it is an outstanding choice for hedging, screening, and boundary planting in even the most challenging conditions.
Why Choose ‘Compacta’
- Dense, compact habit — easier to manage than standard Elaeagnus varieties
- Handsome leathery foliage: deep glossy green above, silvery-grey beneath
- Intensely fragrant small white flowers in October and November — a hidden autumn delight
- Exceptionally wind-hardy and salt-tolerant — ideal for coastal and exposed gardens
- Fast-growing and evergreen — provides year-round privacy and structure
- One of the toughest hedging shrubs available for difficult conditions
Growing Guide
- Position: Full sun to full shade; highly adaptable
- Soil: Tolerates most well-drained soils including poor, sandy, and coastal soils
- Hardiness: Fully hardy (RHS H5)
- Ultimate height: 1.5–2m; easily maintained at a lower height with annual clipping
- Pruning: Clip once a year in late spring or early summer to maintain shape
Planting & Care Tips
- Space at 60–80cm apart for a dense, formal hedge
- Tolerates exposed, windy, and coastal sites where many other shrubs struggle
- Mulch after planting to retain moisture and support establishment
- Minimal feeding required — thrives in poor soils without intervention
Delivery
Supplied in a 2 litre pot. Grown and dispatched from Stoneybrook Nursery. All plants are carefully packaged to arrive in excellent condition, ready to plant.
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Planting Instructions
Plant Elaeagnus x ebbingei 'Compacta' (Ebbinge's Silverberry) between autumn and early spring, avoiding frozen or waterlogged ground. It will grow in full sun or full shade and tolerates most well-drained soils, including poor, sandy, dry, and coastal soils.
Dig a planting hole twice the width of the pot and to the same depth as the root ball. Tease out any circling roots, position the plant so the top of the root ball sits level with the surrounding soil, backfill with garden soil, and firm in gently.
For a dense, formal hedge, space plants 60–80cm apart. Water thoroughly after planting and keep the roots moist through the first growing season. Apply a mulch of well-rotted organic matter around the base after planting to retain moisture and suppress weeds, keeping it clear of the stems.
Once established it needs very little attention: clip once a year in late spring or early summer to keep its shape, avoiding the autumn flowering period. It thrives in poor soils without much feeding, which helps keep growth tight and dense.
Size & Specification
Supplied in a 2 litre pot, well rooted and ready to plant straight out. Plants are young, bushy specimens established in the pot, not bare-root or rootballed stock.
'Compacta' is the more restrained form of Elaeagnus x ebbingei, with a dense, compact habit. It reaches an ultimate height of 1.5–2 metres and a similar spread if left unclipped, and is easily kept at 1–1.2 metres as a neat formal hedge with an annual clip. Fully hardy in the UK (RHS H5).
Delivery & Dispatch
Supplied in its 2 litre pot, carefully packaged by hand so it arrives in excellent condition, ready to plant. Orders are dispatched within 3–5 working days of receipt, and you will receive a notification once your order is on its way.
Delivery to the Scottish Highlands, islands, and other remote postcodes may take slightly longer — please contact us before ordering if you are unsure. If your plant arrives damaged or in poor condition, please contact us within 48 hours with photographs and we will put it right.
Wildlife & Ecological Notes
The small creamy white flowers that open in October and November are intensely fragrant and provide a valuable source of late-autumn nectar and pollen for bees, hoverflies, and other pollinators when little else in the garden is flowering.
The dense, evergreen foliage gives year-round cover and secure nesting sites for birds, and as an exceptionally wind-hardy, salt-tolerant shrub it brings these benefits to coastal and exposed gardens where less resilient evergreens fail.