Ebbinge’s silverberry (Elaeagnus × ebbingei): when and how to prune

Ebbinge’s silverberry (Elaeagnus × ebbingei): when to prune it?

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Prune in May and, if needed, a second time in August.

What else to prune in those months? May · August

Ebbinge’s silverberry (Elaeagnus × ebbingei): how to prune it?

1. Shape a hedge with shears, slightly wider at the bottom than at the top so light reaches the base.
2. On a free-standing shrub, cut long, protruding shoots back to just above a leaf or side shoot.
3. An overgrown or bare shrub tolerates hard rejuvenation pruning in spring; it shoots again from old wood.
4. Remove dead branches at any time, cutting back into healthy wood.

How much to cut, and how often?

• There are 2 pruning periods a year: May and August. You don’t have to prune in every one.
• Prune in moderation: never remove more than about a third of the shrub at once.

What does it mean for wildlife?

• Pruning in May and August can fall in the nesting season (15 March–15 August). Check carefully for nesting birds first: disturbing an active nest is against the law.
• Ebbinge’s silverberry (Elaeagnus × ebbingei) flowers in October–November, when it attracts bees.
• Prunings can go on a dead hedge or brash pile in a corner of the garden: shelter for hedgehogs, wrens and insects.

Common mistakes

• Clipping without first checking for nesting birds.
• Leaving a stub or sawing flush with the trunk: cut just outside the branch collar.

Nearby: related pruning guides

• Oleaster
• Thorny olive (Elaeagnus pungens)
• Blackcurrant
• Blackthorn
• Box (buxus)
• Camellia

Plant profile: Ebbinge’s silverberry (Elaeagnus × ebbingei) · Pruning calendar and basic rules