Elaeagnus (Oleaster) Hedge Plants

• Common names: Oleaster, Russian Olive
• Latin name: Elaeagnus angustifolia
• Native: No. Russia to Iran
• Sold as: Bareroot hedge plants, 60/80cm tall
• Evergreen: No. Deciduous, with silvery leaves and thorns
• Hedge height: Up to about 4m
• Size unpruned: 4 to 8m tall and wide, usually about 6m
• Spacing: 3 plants per metre
• Flowers: Small, creamy-yellow and fragrant, in summer
• Position: Full sun. Takes coastal wind and exposure
• Soil: Well-drained, poor and dry soils included. May yellow on shallow chalk
• Wildlife: RHS Plants for Pollinators
• Hardiness: H5, hardy through a cold winter
• Delivered: Bareroot, November to April. Collection from Castle Cary also available

Oleaster is a thorny, silver-leaved deciduous shrub for poor, dry soil and windy sites by the sea, with small, fragrant, creamy-yellow flowers in summer that put it on the RHS Plants for Pollinators list. It makes a hedge up to about 4 metres high.

Elaeagnus (Oleaster) Hedge Plants

Elaeagnus angustifolia, Oleaster or Russian Olive, is a big deciduous thorny shrub that thrives in poor soil by the sea and is able to grow on almost pure sand.
Elaeagnus angustifolia is good for hedges up to about 4 metres high.

Elaeagnus angustifolia hedge plants are only delivered bareroot, during winter (Nov-April).
All our hedge plants are measured by their height in centimetres above the ground (the roots aren't measured).

Spacing an Elaeagnus angustifolia hedge:

Plant Elaeagnus angustifolia hedging at 3 plants per metre, 33cm apart.

General description of Elaeagnus angustifolia plants:

This is a hardy hedging plant for poor soils and windy sites on the coast. It's thorny and has silvery, fragrant foliage. The small, abundant yellow flowers aren't very showy, but they have a good scent that carries well. These mature into small silver-orange berries, which are edible, although they don't have much flavour and tend to be quickly picked off by birds. As a shrub, Oleaster is also good for small gardens. Oleaster's roots fix nitrogen, so it'll thrive on the worst soils.

View our selection of coastal hedging plants or see our full range of hedging.

History & Trivia

Common Names: Oleaster, Silver berry bush, Russian olive, Wild olive
Elaeagnus angustifolia's native range is from Russia to Iran, where its berries are dried, powdered and added to milk for drinking. It has been grown in Britain since the 1500s.

Planting Companions

For a seaside hedge or shelter belt, Oleaster's natural partners are Sea Buckthorn, which has the same silver leaf, Tamarisk and the Red Ramanas Rose. Dust the roots with Rootgrow as you plant.

Why Ashridge for Hedging?

Hedging is not a sideline here: your Oleaster is grown for us as hedging by specialist growers. Bareroot plants are lifted to order while dormant and guaranteed for 12 months. Ashridge has sold plants since 1949 and is a Which? Best Plant Supplier 2025.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will Oleaster grow by the sea?

Yes. It tolerates coastal winds and dry soil, and it grows in very sandy ground. It needs full sun.

How tall does an Oleaster hedge grow?

Keep it as a hedge up to about 4 metres. Left unpruned, it grows 4 to 8 metres tall and wide, usually about 6 metres.

Is Oleaster evergreen?

No. It is deciduous. The leaves are dark green above and silvery beneath, on red-tinted, silvery shoots that are sometimes spiky.

What soil does it need?

Any well-drained soil, however poor. The one caution is that the leaves may yellow on shallow, chalky soil.

Is it good for bees?

Yes. It is on the RHS Plants for Pollinators list. The small, creamy-yellow flowers open in summer and are fragrant.

How far apart do you plant it?

Three plants per metre, 33cm apart, in a single row.

When are the plants delivered?

Bareroot only, from November to April, while the plants are dormant. You can order at any time of year and your plants are lifted and sent once the season opens.