Limelight Elaeagnus / Oleaster Plants

Elaeagnus x submacrophylla Limelight Hedging

Elaeagnus Limelight is a strong growing variegated evergreen shrub with broad and leathery dark green leaves with lime green to yellow variegation at the centre.

It is fully hardy and will tolerate dry soil, growing in full sun or partial shade. It does not tolerate deep shade well when the variegation will revert to dark green. Its growth is average to fast and it has small deliciously scented creamy white flowers in the autumn followed, occasionally by orange fruits in the spring.

It forms a dense rounded bush and is beloved of flower arrangers. Any leaves reverting to dark green should be removed in spring.

See our selection of coastal hedging or view our full range of hedging plants.

Great for your garden

Limelight is perfect at the back of a shrub border providing light in shaded areas and relieving the monotony of solid evergreen shrubs that may surround it. It is fully hardy and will tolerate quite difficult conditions except dry solid shade.

The young leaves are dark green with a silvery hue gradually developing the delightful lime green variation at the centre. It is perfect when associating with other evergreens and as a contrast with purple leaved shrubs such as Cotinus coggygria Royal Purple. It makes an unusual informal hedge.

Evergreen Elaeagnus hedge plants are delivered pot-grown, all year round.
All of our hedge plants are measured by their height in centimetres above the ground (the pots aren't measured).

Features:

• Evergreen variegated leaves
• Sun or partial shade
• Fully hardy
• Small, scented white flowers in autumn
• Disease resistant
• Medium to fast growth

Trivia:

This Oleaster group is formerly known as Elaeagnus x ebbingei. The genus Elaeagnus is made up of around 45 species of deciduous and evergreen shrubs/garden-trees. The cultivars of this variety are sometimes mistaken for Elaeagnus angustifolia, commonly known as 'Russian Olive'. 

Growing Elaeagnus x ebbingei Limelight:

Elaeagnus x ebbingei Limelight will grow well in any sunny, well drained soil apart from shallow chalk, although it will tolerate most other alkaline soils. It is suitable for exposed, salty seaside areas and mature plants are very drought hardy.

Note: Although it is a hardy plant, we generally recommend that you plant Elaeagnus angustifolia instead in the North and Scotland. Elaeagnus ebbingei will often lose its leaves in a Northern winter, which is not a problem in itself, but combined with high rainfall and damp soil, it may struggle to grow well.

Spacing an Elaeagnus ebbingei hedge:

Plant Elaeagnus ebbingei hedging at 2 plants per metre, 50cms apart.

Prepare your site before planting:

It is good to dig over the area where you plant a hedge several months in advance, especially if the soil is poor. Destroy the weeds first: nettles, brambles and ground elder are tough and weed-killer is the best way to remove them.

Then dig the soil over; remove rocks, roots and other rubbish. Mix in well rotted compost or manure down to the depth of about 2 spades. If your soil is rich, you don't have to dig it over, but killing all the weeds is still necessary.

Watch our video on how to plant a garden hedge for full details. The plants in this video are delivered pot-grown, but planting out bareroot stock is essentially the same.

Note:Remember to water establishing plants during dry weather for at least a year after planting.

Hedge Planting Accessories:

Prepare your site for planting by killing the weeds and grass with Neudorff WeedFree Plus.

You can buy a hedge planting pack with sheets of mulch fabric and pegs to hold it down.

When planting in an area with rabbit/deer, you'll need a plastic spiral guard for each plant, and a bamboo cane.

If your soil quality is poor, we recommend using Mycorrhizal Fungi on the roots of new trees and shrubs.

You can also improve your soil with bonemeal organic fertiliser and Growmore.