Oleaster

Oleaster: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Evergreen shrub of 2–4 m, dense and broadly branched.

Leaf

Alternate, oval, 5–10 cm, untoothed; dark green above, silvery white below with rust-brown scales.

Bark

Young shoots covered in brown scales.

Flower

Small, silvery-white, very fragrant flowers in October–November.

Fruit

Small, red, edible berries in spring.

Difference from cherry laurel

Cherry laurel has glossy leaves without a silvery underside.

Flowering: October–November · Harvest and fruit: April–May · Pruning: May–June and August–September

Identify by feature: White or silver underside · Evergreen leaves

Looks like it, but isn’t

• Cherry laurel Prunus laurocerasus: glossy leaves without a silvery underside. Difference from cherry laurel

Why grow it?

• Very wind-tolerant, even by the sea: an ideal coastal hedge.
• Sweetly scented flowers in October–November, for late insects.
• Grows in sun and shade, on moist or dry, rich or poor soil.
• Small red, edible berries in spring.

Oleaster: where does it grow best?

• Sun to shade; in sun it flowers more freely.
• Any soil, from poor sand to clay; it copes well with drought and doesn’t need rich soil.
• Allow 2–3 m width as a free-standing shrub; as a hedge, keep it at 1.5–2 m.
• Tolerates sea wind and salt: ideal as a windbreak on the coast.

Light

Sun to shade

Legal basis

Any garden soil

Moisture

Dry to wet

Size

4 m tall, 3 m wide

Hardiness

Throughout Belgium, no protection needed

Goes well with

• Sea buckthorn: A relative that also fixes nitrogen and tolerates sea wind: together, a tough coastal hedge, with orange berries.
• Tamarisk: Airy pink flowers in summer, also tolerant of sea wind.
• Holly: A native, evergreen partner for a mixed hedge in shade.

Good and bad companions

Goes well with

• Tolerates shade and suits planting under large trees such as: ginkgo, box elder, ash, honey locust, field maple, silver maple

Oleaster: when and how to plant it?

1. Plant from a pot in spring (April–May) or early autumn (September–October).
2. For a hedge: 2–3 plants per metre.
3. Set the root ball at the same depth as in the pot and firm the soil well.
4. Water well after planting, and in dry spells during the first year.

Care

Watering

In dry spells during the first year; rarely needed after that.

Feeding

Not needed: the bacteria in the root nodules fix nitrogen from the air.

Variegated forms

Cut out shoots with plain green leaves as soon as you see them.

Harvest

Pick the berries in April–May when they are fully red and soft; they taste sweet and sour.

Tip: Plant it near a patio or front door: in October you can smell the little flowers from metres away, even though you can barely see them.

Oleaster: when to prune it?

Pruning months: May–June and August–September.

When: In May–June and in late summer.

How:

• Trim a hedge into shape twice a year; a free-standing shrub only where needed.
• Cut out shoots with plain green leaves (on variegated forms).
• An overgrown or bare shrub tolerates hard renovation pruning and will regrow.

Caution: On variegated forms, green shoots grow more vigorously than variegated ones: cut them out promptly, or they will take over the shrub. Some species, such as Elaeagnus pungens, have thorns: wear gloves.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Cuttings

In July–September, take 10–15 cm semi-ripe cuttings and insert them in sandy cutting compost under plastic or glass.

Oleaster: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy throughout Belgium: no protection needed.

• Hardy and evergreen; after hard frost some leaves may turn brown, but it regrows in spring.
• The fragrant flowers in October–November are one of the last food sources for bumblebees and hoverflies before winter.

Diseases and pests

• Reversion: On variegated forms, shoots with plain green leaves appear. Cut them out at the base.
• Dying branches: On older shrubs, branches sometimes suddenly die back. Saw them off into healthy wood and water in dry spells.
• Frost damage: Brown leaves after a harsh winter. In May, cut out the dead parts; it usually regrows well.

Through the year

• April: Red berries ripening; planting.
• May: Pick the berries; first trim.
• June: Finish trimming.
• July: Take cuttings.
• August: Second trim.
• September: Last month for pruning; planting possible again.
• October: Fragrant flowers.
• November: Flowering comes to an end.

What can you use it for?

Garden and landscape

Wind-resistant evergreen hedge, also by the sea and in shade.

Food and drink

The red berries in spring are edible.

For wildlife

Fragrant autumn flowers for late insects.

Edible and useful

Berries (April–May)

On the widely planted hedging elaeagnus (Elaeagnus × ebbingei), the small, oblong, silver-speckled berries ripen in April and May, when there is little other fruit about. Pick them when they are deep red and soft: then they taste sweet-sour; unripe they are astringent. Eat them fresh and spit out the stone, or cook them into a purée or jam. Other species, such as autumn olive, only ripen in September–October.

Storing

Fresh berries keep for a few days in the fridge. Purée and jam can be frozen or kept in clean, hot jars.

Caution: Only pick fully ripe, red berries. Be sure of the shrub: the red berries of honeysuckle, spindle and skimmia, among others, are poisonous. You can recognise elaeagnus by the silvery scales on the underside of the leaves and on the berries.

Eating and using is at your own risk: see the terms of use.

Recipes

• Spring jam of elaeagnus and rhubarb (Jam · ± 3 jars · 45 min)
• Elaeagnus compote with vanilla (Compote · ± 400 ml (2 small jars) · 35 min)
• Elaeagnus fruit leather (Dried · ± 10 strips · 30 min + 6–8 hrs drying)

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Bumblebees

Nectar and pollen for bumblebees, also from deep flowers and early in spring.

Birds

Berries, seeds or insects as food, or a place to nest.

Did you know?

• Very wind-tolerant, even by the sea: an ideal coastal hedge.
• A relative of sea buckthorn: like it, it fixes nitrogen from the air with bacteria in nodules on its roots.
• It flowers in autumn and fruits in spring: flower and fruit are half a year apart.
• Like alder, oleaster has root nodules with bacteria (Frankia) that fix nitrogen from the air, so it also thrives on poor soil.
• The widely planted Elaeagnus × ebbingei is a hybrid raised in The Hague by S.G.A. Doorenbos, then director of the city’s parks department.