Arborvitae vs Ebbing's silverberry

Arborvitae and Ebbing's silverberry are often considered for the same spot in the garden (hedge, screening, container). The data below shows where they differ: size, hardiness, care, toxicity and price.

Arborvitae

Thuja occidentalis 3.5 m × 1.2 m after 10 years

A dense evergreen with scale-like foliage, planted in its columnar and conical forms (such as fast Brabant or slim Columna) as a clipped hedge or…

Hedge

Full sun

Part shade

from about PLN 19

Ebbing's silverberry

Elaeagnus × ebbingei 2.5 m × 2.5 m after 10 years

A vigorous, dense evergreen shrub with leathery leaves that are glossy dark green above and silvery beneath, bearing tiny, barely visible but strongly…

Hedge

Full sun

Part shade

Shade

from about PLN 18

Key differences

Arborvitae: We do not recommend it for most Central European gardens. In Central Europe thuja hedges are dying on a large scale, for several reasons that reinforce each other. The plant comes from cool, humid sites and cannot cope with hot, dry summers without watering: shoot tips brown and whole branches die.
Arborvitae grows taller, Ebbing's silverberry spreads wider: 3.5 m × 1.2 m and 2.5 m × 2.5 m after ten years (an estimate: sources differ).
Arborvitae is hardier: down to -40 °C, against -18 °C for Ebbing's silverberry.
Ebbing's silverberry copes better with summer heat than Arborvitae.
Ebbing's silverberry tolerates drought better than Arborvitae.
Ebbing's silverberry needs less water than Arborvitae.
Arborvitae also takes heavy clay, Ebbing's silverberry needs a loose, free-draining soil.
Ebbing's silverberry also grows in shade, Arborvitae does not.
Ebbing's silverberry is non-toxic to children, Arborvitae is not.
Arborvitae has pollen that can cause allergies, Ebbing's silverberry does not (an estimate: sources differ).

Which one to choose?

Ebbing's silverberry is the safer choice: we do not recommend planting Arborvitae in most gardens.

Watch out for

Arborvitae

In Central Europe thuja hedges are dying on a large scale, for several reasons that reinforce each other. The plant comes from cool, humid sites and cannot cope with hot, dry summers without watering: shoot tips brown and whole branches die. Weakened plants are attacked by the juniper jewel beetle (Lamprodila festiva, also called Ovalisia festiva): its larvae eat the phloem under the bark, a branch or the whole plant suddenly turns red-brown and dies, and oval exit holes are left on the trunk. Nothing works against the larvae under the bark; infested parts can only be cut out and destroyed. Fungal shoot and scale-leaf blights and the thuja bark beetle add to the damage. For these reasons experts no longer advise planting new thuja hedges; yew, privet or a mixed hedge is a safer choice. The dwarf globe forms are the same species and suffer from drought and fungal browning just the same; the jewel beetle mainly goes for exposed, sun-warmed trunks, so it is less common on small globes branched to the ground, but nothing shows that they are immune. In winter frozen soil and wind can brown the foliage, and wet snow splays columnar forms apart.

Ebbing's silverberry

In Central Europe its hardiness is borderline: below roughly minus 15 to minus 18 °C, especially in windy spots exposed to winter sun, the foliage scorches or drops and shoots of young plants may die back. In cold areas it is worth wrapping it for the first few years and mulching the base. Whole branches sometimes die suddenly for no visible reason and should be cut back to healthy wood. Less often the elaeagnus sucker distorts the leaves, and leaf spot or coral spot can appear.

The data side by side

Feature	Arborvitae	Ebbing's silverberry
Group	Hedge	Hedge
Size after 10 years	3.5 m × 1.2 m (uncertain)	2.5 m × 2.5 m (uncertain)
Ultimate size	0.5–20 m × 0.5–4.5 m (uncertain)	2.4–4 m × 2.4–4 m
Growth rate	Medium (uncertain)	Fast
Light	Full sun, Part shade	Full sun, Part shade, Shade
Soil	Average garden soil, Clay, Calcareous	Average garden soil, Sandy, Calcareous, Acidic
Hardiness	down to -40 °C (USDA 3, RHS H7)	down to -18 °C (USDA 6, RHS H6)
Heat tolerance	Low	High
Foliage	Evergreen	Evergreen
Flowering	no data	September–November, white
Water need	High	Medium
Drought tolerance	Low	High
Maintenance	Medium	Medium
Planted as a hedge	2.5 plants per running metre	2 plants per running metre
For dogs	Toxic (uncertain)	Non-toxic
For cats	Toxic (uncertain)	Non-toxic
For children	Toxic	Non-toxic
Typical price	approx. PLN 19	about PLN 110 (60–100 cm)

Prices are rounded, indicative values. Toxicity data is for information only. If your pet or child has eaten a plant, contact a vet or a doctor. Data updated: October 26, 2026

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