OK, @Fairygirl, @bede and @Pete.8 here are some images - one is of the underside of a leaf, one a close up of a leaf from the front and one of all the leaves. Thank you!
I think it's an Elaeagnus ebbingei shrub. The leaves do have a natural white powdery coating. I suspect yours has had some very chill winds blowing on it that has killed off a few leaves leaving them looking silver. They're tough as old boots, so unlikely to be anything to worry about. Just prune back the damaged bits in early spring
Edit - I think Elaeagnus submacrophylla having had a google - which also has a power like coating on leaves I had an ebbingei - they leaves were thicker
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
Oh, @Pete.8 - THANK YOU!!! I do hope that's what it is - I'd never noticed it before. Will look it up, and yes, I was thinking of cutting off the damaged leaves soon. Much appreciated!
@Pete.8 - it's a strange one - I just looked up Elaeagnus submacrophylla and you're right, it seems like a perfect match. But the description says that this has silvery undersides of leaves, which mine doesn't have. Puzzled, because it really does look like this. I also read here that some Elaeagnus do have powdery silver on leaves - but I've never noticed this until now. I think I'll try cutting back all the affected leaves and see what happens...
As far as I recall, in Spring the new leaves and stems are covered in a brown fur when they first appear. As they unfold the fur disappears and after a while they take on a silvery/white colour. Toward the end of the season they turn ordinary green with no silver underneath.. So I don't think you'll see the silvery underside until this year's leaves are a few months old. Yours may be another species of Elaeagnus - there are quite a few. I had Ebbengi - I took it out as it was boring and had nasty thorns. I still have a Elaeagnus Quicksilver, which also has silvery leaves, but is deciduous. It could well be that the drought of last year has caused some mildew on some of the leaves on yours. Either way I wouldn't worry about it. These shrubs are very tough indeed. Give it a trim back, or wait for the dead leaves to fall.
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
I'd agree with @Pete.8 that you have an Eleagnus of some kind, and I wouldn't worry about a wee patch having some problems. Just cut out when weather suits. They're extremely tough shrubs, and there's many varieties. However, you also seem to have Portuguese laurel there, so the hedge must be mixed.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Thanks so much, @Fairygirl and @Pete.8 - this is so helpful and reassuring. I will cut back the silvery leaves and see what happens. And yes, it's a mixed hedge with all kinds in it - laurel and lots of other things. The sparrows love it!
I don't have much sense of smell either @susiebower, so scented plants aren't very important in a garden The damage is minimal, so don't worry. If it was yards of hedge all dying back, it might be a problem, but it doesn't look like that
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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The leaves do have a natural white powdery coating.
I suspect yours has had some very chill winds blowing on it that has killed off a few leaves leaving them looking silver.
They're tough as old boots, so unlikely to be anything to worry about.
Just prune back the damaged bits in early spring
Edit - I think Elaeagnus submacrophylla having had a google - which also has a power like coating on leaves
I had an ebbingei - they leaves were thicker
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
As they unfold the fur disappears and after a while they take on a silvery/white colour.
Toward the end of the season they turn ordinary green with no silver underneath..
So I don't think you'll see the silvery underside until this year's leaves are a few months old.
Yours may be another species of Elaeagnus - there are quite a few.
I had Ebbengi - I took it out as it was boring and had nasty thorns.
I still have a Elaeagnus Quicksilver, which also has silvery leaves, but is deciduous.
It could well be that the drought of last year has caused some mildew on some of the leaves on yours.
Either way I wouldn't worry about it. These shrubs are very tough indeed.
Give it a trim back, or wait for the dead leaves to fall.
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
However, you also seem to have Portuguese laurel there, so the hedge must be mixed.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
As for the damage it does look like a leaf sucking pest, but maybe not.
"Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
The damage is minimal, so don't worry. If it was yards of hedge all dying back, it might be a problem, but it doesn't look like that
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...