Hardy Ornamental Flowering Trees and Shrubs · Chapter 77Elaeagnus
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ELAEAGNUS ARGENTEA.—Silver Berry. North America, 1813. A spreading shrub 8 feet or 10 feet high, with lanceolate leaves clothed with silvery scales. The flowers are axillary and clustered, and are succeeded by pretty, silvery-ribbed berries.
E. GLABRA (syn E. reflexus).—From Japan. This is one of the handsomest species, forming bushes of delightful green, leathery leaves, and with a neat and rather compact habit of growth. It grows with great freedom when planted in light, sandy soil, big globose bushes being the result of a few years' growth. Being perfectly hardy it is to be recommended if only for the ample leathery, deep green foliage. The flowers are inconspicuous. There is a form having the leaves margined with pale yellow, and known under the name of E. glabra variegata.
E. LONGIPES (syn E. edulis and E. crisp a).—Japan, 1873. This species, is also worthy of culture, whether for the ornamental flowers or fruit. It is a shrub 6 feet high, bearing an abundance of spotted, oval red berries on long footstalks. Quite hardy.
E. MACROPHYLLA.—Japan. This is of robust growth, with handsome, dark green leaves, and purplish branch tips. The leaves are thick of texture, often fully 3 inches long, glossy-green above, and silvery beneath. The latter is all the more remarkable, as the leaves have the habit of curling up their edges, and thus revealing the light, silvery tint of the under sides. It thrives well in light, sandy peat, and may be relied upon as one of the hardiest of shrubs.
E. ROTUNDIFOLIA.—An interesting and perfectly hardy species, growing about five feet high, and remarkable for the great wealth of pretty scarlet and amber-coloured berries. The flowers are not very showy, but this is made up by the beautiful silvery leaves, most pronounced on the under sides, and wealth of fruit, which hangs on long stalks like Cherries.
Other species of less interest are E. pungens, of which there is a variegated variety; E. Simoni, a neat Chinese shrub; and E. latifolia, of good habit and with large leaves. The various species and varieties of Elaeagnus may all be cultivated in light, free soil, and from experiments that were recently made, they have been found of great value for planting by the seaside. They are popularly known as the Wild Olives and Evergreen Oleasters.