Elaeagnus pungens 'Maculata'

A small shrub here, 1-2 m tall, 1 m wide, even larger in protected areas, sometimes up to 3 m; otherwise squat, bushy, upright, dense branching, slow-growing.

Cream-white, tube-shaped, usually hidden between the leaves, October to November, pleasant vanilla fragrance.

Only rarely, ovoid stone fruits, edible, fleshy-juicy, brown-red.

Evergreen, elliptical, spectacular yellow, green leaf margins.

Shallow, fleshy, far-reaching root system, cover in autumn with some 5 cm of mulch.

Sun to shade; tolerates heat, needs warmth; not very frost hardy, needs protected areas and covering in winter with spruce twigs, fleece, etc.; good for urban areas.

Dry to fresh; acidic to slightly alkaline, all well drained substrates.

The twigs that occasionally mutate back to their wild green should be cut so that they do not cover the weaker colourful twigs.

Elaeagnus pungens is found in the mountains of eastern China on the edge of pine and juniper forests mixed in with Berberis verruculosa, Cotinus coggygria, Deutzia, Lonicera pileata, Rosa omeiensis and numerous species of Spiraea such as Spiraea prunifolia.

Zone 7a