The Eleagnus ebbingei is an evergreen shrub that grows approximately five meters tall and it is usually the same width. When planted under trees, it adopts a semi-climbing habit and reaches the highest branches.
However, being very tolerant with pruning, it can be kept much smaller. It is possible to produce a bush 1.5 meters high and only 45 cm wide, although this is a bit extreme; allowing it to be at least one meter wide will produce a better hedge.
Features
It is best sown in a sunny, open site, but tends to tolerate shade well. It thrives in any fertile, well-draining garden soil. Withstands clay, chalk and dry conditions. It makes an excellent sheet for other flowering plants and the attractive foliage is highly appreciated by landscapers.
It is a resistant shrub, easy to grow and that it tolerates most soils and situations, requiring very little care or attention.
You can trim unwanted branches in spring. Avoid removing wood that is only a few years old. Quickly remove all green shoots to keep the format varied.
The cuttings can be 10 centimeters and can be successfully rooted in pots of well-drained sandy soil, in a propagation frame and at a uniform temperature of 13-16 ° C.
The Eleagnus ebbingei family comprises many varieties. In addition to producing edible fruits, most species are put to various uses.
Not all species in the family have edible seeds. These are often too small and complicated to be worth it, although several of the evergreen Elaeagnus species have fairly large seeds. These seeds have a mild flavor, can be eaten raw or cooked, and are a rich source of protein and fat.
All species tend to benefit each other in their vital development with some bacteria that thrive in the soil. These bacteria create nodules on the roots and they are established with the nitrogen of the atmosphere.
A fraction of this nitrogen is used by the plant for its development, but it can also be used by the flora that grows in the surroundings. This means that all members of the family make excellent companion plants.
Farming
When grown in gardens, for example, can increase fruit tree yields by up to 10%This is the case of plums and nuts that respond more to nitrogen fertilization.
The fruit of many members of this family is a very rich source of vitamins and minerals (mainly vitamins A, C and E), flavonoids and other bioactive compounds. It is also a good source of notable fatty acids, something unusual for a fruit.
Research indicates that consuming the fruit considerably reduces the incidence of cancer in humans. It's also possible that compounds in the fruit can slow down or even reverse the growth of cancer already in the body.
Most of the research that has been carried out to date has been with the genus Hippophae, but the fruits of all other members of the family also contain these compounds.
The plant is very tolerant of the surroundings of the place, the only situation is that it does not accumulate. Prefers well-drained soil, although it is able to grow in very poor soils and once established it is very resistant to drought, so it will be successful in fairly dry soils. It grows well in full sun and shade.
They have been placed under a line of mature pine trees that had been planted as protection against the sea winds. With the passage of time, these pines had lost their lower branches and the wind was channeling causing considerable problems in the garden, in a few years, the Elaeagnus had filled in the gaps, reeling from the winds.
This is one of those species that is extremely resistant to maritime exposure and salt-laden winds. It can grow right next to the sea without causing you any problems.