Side by side
Oleaster or tree groundsel? How to tell them apart
Elaeagnus · Baccharis halimifolia
How to tell them apart – oleaster: evergreen, with untoothed, leathery leaves with a silvery underside; tree groundsel: semi-evergreen shrub with grey-green, coarsely toothed leaves, which turns silvery-white and fluffy on female plants in autumn, invasive on the coast.
How do you recognise them?
- Oleaster
- Evergreen shrub with leathery leaves that are silvery-scaled underneath; fragrant little flowers in autumn.
- Compared with tree groundsel: evergreen, with untoothed, leathery leaves with a silvery underside.
- Tree groundsel
- Semi-evergreen shrub with grey-green, coarsely toothed leaves, which turns silvery-white and fluffy on female plants in autumn; invasive on the coast.
| Oleaster | Tree groundsel | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Alternate, oval, 5–10 cm, untoothed; dark green above, silvery white below with rust-brown scales. | Alternate, 3–7 cm, obovate to diamond-shaped, coarsely toothed in the upper part (often untoothed near the top of the branches), thick, grey-green and slightly sticky. |
| Flowering | Small, silvery-white, very fragrant flowers in October–November (October–November). | Small, white to yellowish-green flower heads in clusters, in September–October; male and female plants (September–October). |
| Fruit | Small, red, edible berries in spring. | Masses of seeds with silvery-white fluff on the female plants (October–November), which blow far away. |
| Bark | Young shoots covered in brown scales. | Green, grooved, slightly sticky twigs, later brown. |
| Shape and height | Shrub, 2–4 m | Shrub, 1–4 m |
| Site | Sun to shade, any garden soil, dry to wet | Full sun, any garden soil, dry to wet |
| Native to Belgium | No, planted | No, an invasive alien species |
| 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 | May–June and August–September | Better removed than pruned |
What does it mean for your garden?
- Tree groundsel is an invasive non-native species: do not plant it. Pull up seedlings and choose a native species instead.
Read on
- Plant profile: Oleaster
- Plant profile: Tree groundsel
- Oleaster: when and how to prune
- Identification key
Also looks like
This comparison is compiled from the Bladwijzer species pages.