The leaves of Elaeagnus x submacrophylla are green with silver-grey spots when young, but they turn into a dark-green color with silver-grey undersides as they mature. This tough and fast-growing plant is ideal for hedging and screening, and it is well-suited to tolerate both drought and salt-laden winds. It can be grown in either sun or shade and is known to produce highly fragrant and sweet-scented white flowers in autumn, which are then followed by orange berries in the winter. Overall, Elaeagnus x submacrophylla makes for a very robust and resilient hedge. Elaeagnus x submacrophylla is evergreen, not native to New Zealand, and a hybrid between Elaeagnus macrophylla and Elaeagnus pungens. Elaeagnus x submacrophylla was first discovered in 1929 by Simon Doorenbos, the director of the Parks Department in The Hague, Netherlands. Simon sowed seed from several Elaeagnus species next to each other, and from these arose the hybrid Elaeagnus x submacrophylla.