Side by side
Escallonia or oleaster? How to tell them apart
Escallonia · Elaeagnus
How to tell them apart – escallonia: evergreen shrub with small, glossy, toothed leaves and clusters of pink, red or white flowers all summer, a favourite hedge by the sea; oleaster: leathery leaves with a silvery underside and inconspicuous autumn flowers.
How do you recognise them?
- Escallonia
- Evergreen shrub with small, glossy, toothed leaves and clusters of pink, red or white flowers all summer; a favourite hedge by the sea.
- Oleaster
- Evergreen shrub with leathery leaves that are silvery-scaled underneath; fragrant little flowers in autumn.
- Compared with escallonia: leathery leaves with a silvery underside and inconspicuous autumn flowers.
| Escallonia | Oleaster | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Alternate, 1–6 cm, obovate, finely toothed, glossy dark green and often slightly sticky and aromatic. | Alternate, oval, 5–10 cm, untoothed; dark green above, silvery white below with rust-brown scales. |
| Flowering | Clusters of tubular to bell-shaped flowers (1–2 cm) in pink, red or white, from June to September (June–September). | Small, silvery-white, very fragrant flowers in October–November (October–November). |
| Fruit | Small, dry capsules. | Small, red, edible berries in spring. |
| Bark | Reddish-brown, slightly sticky twigs. | Young shoots covered in brown scales. |
| Shape and height | Shrub, 1.5–3 m | Shrub, 2–4 m |
| Site | Full sun, any garden soil, normal | Sun to shade, any garden soil, dry to wet |
| Native to Belgium | No, planted | No, planted |
| Good for bees, butterflies and birds | – | Yes, for bees and birds |
| Poisonous to people and pets | Not known to be poisonous | Not known to be poisonous |
| Pruning months | August–September | May–June and August–September |
What does it mean for your garden?
- Choose what suits your soil, your light and the space you have: see the growing conditions in the table.
Read on
- Plant profile: Escallonia
- Plant profile: Oleaster
- Escallonia: when and how to prune
- Oleaster: when and how to prune
- Identification key
Also looks like
- Escallonia or box-leaved honeysuckle
- Sea buckthorn or oleaster
- Cherry laurel or oleaster
- Olive tree or oleaster
- Oleaster or tree groundsel
Identify by feature
This comparison is compiled from the Bladwijzer species pages.