Silverberry (Elaeagnus commutata)
A tough, native, and beautiful shrub that brings a splash of silver to the Black Hills landscape.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Expected Size | Height: 6–12 ft Spread: 6–12 ft |
| Growth Rate | Fast: Fills in quickly, especially in full sun conditions. |
| Foliage | Distinctive, oval-shaped leaves covered in fine, silvery scales. |
| Flowers | Small, fragrant, yellow flowers in late spring/early summer. |
| Fruit | Small, silvery, edible berries that mature in late summer. |
| Hardiness Zone | Zone 2-7: Extremely cold-hardy and perfect for the region. |
Why the Black Hills Needs Silverberry
Silverberry is a durable, low-maintenance workhorse that excels in the challenging climate of the Black Hills, offering unique beauty and practical benefits.
- Striking Silver Foliage: This is a stand-out plant. The shimmering silver leaves provide a phenomenal visual contrast to typical green or dark evergreen foliage, making landscape designs pop.
- Built for Tough Conditions: Native to North America and highly adapted to cold, dry climates (Zone 2), Silverberry thrives in the Black Hills. It handles poor soils, drought, and sun exposure with ease.
- Naturally Fragrant: The small, inconspicuous flowers pack a powerful punch, releasing a delightful fragrance that will perfume your garden during late spring and early summer.
- Nitrogen-Fixing: Silverberry has a unique ability to fix nitrogen in the soil, improving the health of surrounding plants without the need for synthetic fertilizers. It’s a natural soil improver!
- Wildlife Friendly: The silvery berries are edible for humans (though often tart) and a valuable food source for birds and other wildlife, providing natural sustenance throughout the fall and winter.
- Versatile: Use it as a large shrub border, an informal hedge, a windbreak plant, or as a specimen where its unique color can shine.
If you want a hardy, low-maintenance plant that looks beautiful and helps improve your soil, the Silverberry is the perfect choice for your Black Hills property!
Silverberry vs Buffaloberry
The silverberry and the buffaloberry are not the same plant, though they are often confused and are in the same plant family (Elaeagnaceae).
They are different species with distinct scientific names and some key differences in their physical characteristics:
| Feature |
|---|
| Silverberry (Wolf Willow) | Silver Buffaloberry | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Elaeagnus commutata | Shepherdia argentea |
| Leaves | Alternate arrangement | Opposite arrangement |
| Fruit Color | Silvery-white or yellowish | Deep red (occasionally orange or yellow cultivars exist) |
| Thorns | Generally thornless | Often has spines on the branches |
| Fruit Taste | Mealy and dry, edible but often used for beads/crafts | Tart but edible; makes a desirable jam/jelly, sweeter after a frost |
Both are native to parts of North America and share the common characteristic of having fine, silvery scales on their leaves, which gives them a similar appearance and their common names. They are both tough, cold-hardy plants that can fix nitrogen in the soil, making them popular for windbreaks and xeriscaping in the Black Hills region.
The main difference between Elaeagnus commutata (Silverberry) and Elaeagnus ebbingei is that E. commutata is a native, deciduous, and extremely cold-hardy shrub, while E. ebbingei is an introduced hybrid that is evergreen (or semi-evergreen) and much less cold-hardy, typically unsuitable for the Black Hills region’s climate.
Comparison of Key Differences
| Feature | Elaeagnus commutata (Silverberry/Wolf Willow) | Elaeagnus × ebbingei (Ebbing’s Silverberry/Oleaster) |
|---|---|---|
| Native Status | Native to North America | Hybrid of Asian species (E. macrophylla × E. pungens); introduced |
| Foliage Type | Deciduous (loses leaves in fall/winter) | Evergreen (keeps leaves year-round in warmer zones) or semi-evergreen |
| Hardiness Zone | USDA Zone 2-7 (Extremely cold-hardy) | USDA Zone 7-9 (Not cold-hardy enough for the Black Hills) |
| Mature Height | 2–6 ft, sometimes up to 15 ft | 8–10 ft, up to 16 ft |
| Growth Habit | Spreading, mounding shrub; unarmed (thornless) | Upright, dense, rounded shrub; thornless stems |
| Flowers | Blooms in late spring/May, yellow inside, very fragrant | Blooms in late fall/autumn, creamy-white, intensely fragrant |
| Fruit | Dry, mealy, silvery fruit ripens in late summer | Fleshy, reddish-brown fruit ripens in spring |
| Suitability for Black Hills | Excellent choice; handles cold, drought, and poor soil well. | Not suitable for the local climate (which is primarily Zone 4/5). |
Summary of Differences
- E. commutata is a tough, low-growing, native shrub that goes dormant in the winter and can handle severe cold, making it a reliable choice for the Black Hills.
- E. ebbingei is a taller hybrid that is valued in milder climates (like the Pacific Northwest or Southern US) for its evergreen nature and late fall flowers. Its flowers and leaves are susceptible to frost damage, and it will not survive the typical winters in the Black Hills region.
Question- is the Silverberry / Russet Buffaloberry the same plant?
No, the Silverberry (Elaeagnus commutata) and the Russet Buffaloberry (Shepherdia canadensis) are two different plants.
While they share a silvery appearance and both belong to the same plant family (Elaeagnaceae) and are native to North America, they are distinct species with key differences:
Key Distinctions
| Feature | Silverberry (Elaeagnus commutata) | Russet Buffaloberry (Shepherdia canadensis) |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Elaeagnus commutata | Shepherdia canadensis |
| Common Names | Wolf Willow, American Silverberry | Canada Buffaloberry, Soapberry, Soopolallie, Foamberry |
| Leaf Appearance | Bright silvery on both sides, with an alternate arrangement on the stem. | Green above, but covered with brownish or silvery scales on the underside, with an opposite arrangement on the stem. |
| Fruit Color | Silvery or yellowish-white. | Red or orange-red. |
| Fruit Taste | Dry, mealy, and generally unpalatable for humans (though edible). | Edible but very bitter, containing saponins (which cause it to foam when beaten with water); often used to make “Indian ice cream” or jelly after a frost. |
| Thorns/Spines | Unarmed (thornless). | Lacks thorns, unlike the related Silver Buffaloberry (Shepherdia argentea) which is thorny. |
Both plants are excellent choices for tough climates like the Black Hills because they are highly cold-hardy, drought-tolerant, and are nitrogen-fixers, meaning they improve the soil quality around them.