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What's this lovely scented shrub?

EdamEdam Posts: 8
in Plants
Hi can anyone help identify this shrub? I noted it walking with my daughter today we could smell it from a good 20 metres away, thankfully I could hone in and locate the source! It was a really sweet scent. Seems to be coming to the end of the flowering season....we are down in London.

It was quite a large shrub with this tiny bell shaped cream flowers.



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Posts

  • EdamEdam Posts: 8
    Ooh lovely yes that's it! Spot on thank you very much :)
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    There's a spring flowering one too called eleagnus Quicksilver that has silver-backed leaves and masses of flowers with the same scent as the one above.
    I keep mine pruned and it's a lovely shrub, but it can get very big.



    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • EdamEdam Posts: 8
    Thanks for the extra tip Pete!

    Will check the prevailing wind where I am before planting I think :)
  • NollieNollie Posts: 7,529
    That’s a lovely one @Pete.8, looks much lighter and airier that the autumn flowering one, or is that just how you prune it?  I have one of the latter, it’s huge, multi-stemmed dense and dark. I don’t like the look of it much, but it’s hidden away around a corner, yes must be about 20m away from the main garden, but the fragrance is astonishing, really travels.
    Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    Hi Nollie - originally I had both varieties that were given to me in a little Christmas basket many years ago and I just planted them both in the garden and forgot about them.
    One was the ordinary eleagnus as in the 1st pic in the thread. I never liked it, the thorns were brutal and it was just a huge dark green blob.
    It took a while to get it all out, and in the middle I noticed the other one I planted (quicksilver) looking quite weak.
    The stems had twisted around themselves giving interest and it looked attractive. Over the following few years it grew well and flowered very well.
    I prune it throughout the season to keep it light and airy and so far so good.
    The scent of the flowers is honey-like and strong and the silvery leaves look good throughout the year. It does grow quickly, so need to keep on top of it.



    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • NollieNollie Posts: 7,529
    Thanks @Pete.8. ‘Huge dark green blob’ aptly sums up mine too, but at least I can’t see it from the garden! I find the fragrance quite cloying, but OH likes it, will keep an eye out and if I find one like yours I’ll maybe plant it near her new garden office.
    Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    Good luck Nollie - hope you find one and the OH approves of it outside her new office.
    I'm using mine as a standard, so the 1st 4ft of the trunk I remove all the shoots then snip off whole new branches when there seems to be too many during the season

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • rachelQrtJHBjbrachelQrtJHBjb Posts: 819
    Love the scent of elaeagnus and have both the straight x ebbingei and 'Quicksilver'. You have a mighty fine plant @Pete.8. I've recently bought this one. https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/21089/Elaeagnus-umbellata/Details
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    Thanks @rachelQrtJHBjb the umbellata looks lovely - berries too! the best of both worlds.
    Hope it does well for you.
    Not room for any more in my garden at the mo. though


    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • Silver surferSilver surfer Posts: 4,719
    edited November 2020
    Elaeagnus quicksilver .... love it.
    Flowers are actually yellow.
    Beware it suckers rather badly.

    Pics below taken in old garden in Wales.
    Perthshire. SCOTLAND .
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