Ebbing's silverberry vs Oval-leaved privet

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

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

Oval-leaved privet

Ligustrum ovalifolium 3 m × 2 m after 10 years

An undemanding hedging shrub with glossy dark green leaves that thickens up quickly, grows in almost any soil and copes well with city air. It keeps…

Hedge

Full sun

Part shade

Shade

from about PLN 10

Key differences

Ebbing's silverberry is evergreen, Oval-leaved privet is semi-evergreen.
Oval-leaved privet is hardier: down to -23 °C, against -18 °C for Ebbing's silverberry.
Ebbing's silverberry tolerates drought better than Oval-leaved privet.
Oval-leaved privet also takes heavy clay, Ebbing's silverberry needs a loose, free-draining soil.
Ebbing's silverberry is non-toxic to dogs and cats, Oval-leaved privet is not.
Oval-leaved privet has pollen that can cause allergies, Ebbing's silverberry does not (an estimate: sources differ).

Which one to choose?

Ebbing's silverberry is the better choice if it must screen in winter too, you cannot water regularly, dogs or cats use the garden or someone in the family has a pollen allergy.

Oval-leaved privet is the better choice if the garden is cold or a frost pocket or the soil is heavy clay.

Watch out for

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.

Oval-leaved privet

In the colder winters of Central Europe you cannot count on year-round screening: it drops its leaves in hard frost and shoots of young, not yet established plants may die back, although it resprouts in spring. Yellow variegated forms can be scorched after their first winters. It is notably susceptible to honey fungus, and powdery mildew, leaf spots and aphids occur. It does not tolerate waterlogging. In favourable spots it can seed itself around.

The data side by side

Feature	Ebbing's silverberry	Oval-leaved privet
Group	Hedge	Hedge
Size after 10 years	2.5 m × 2.5 m (uncertain)	3 m × 2 m (uncertain)
Ultimate size	2.4–4 m × 2.4–4 m	3–5 m × 2–4.5 m
Growth rate	Fast	Fast
Light	Full sun, Part shade, Shade	Full sun, Part shade, Shade
Soil	Average garden soil, Sandy, Calcareous, Acidic	Average garden soil, Clay, Sandy, Calcareous
Hardiness	down to -18 °C (USDA 6, RHS H6)	down to -23 °C (USDA 6, RHS H7)
Heat tolerance	High	Medium (uncertain)
Foliage	Evergreen	Semi-evergreen
Flowering	September–November, white	June–July, white
Water need	Medium	Medium
Drought tolerance	High	Medium
Maintenance	Medium	Medium
Planted as a hedge	2 plants per running metre	4 plants per running metre
For dogs	Non-toxic	Toxic
For cats	Non-toxic	Toxic
For children	Non-toxic	Toxic (uncertain)
Typical price	about PLN 110 (60–100 cm)	about PLN 130 (100–150 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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