Silverberry - Elaeagnus commutata

A multi-stemmed, deciduous shrub from 1.5 to 2.4 meters (5 to 8 feet) tall, erect habit with slender and sometimes twisted branches, new stems are initially a light to medium brown color, the bark becoming dark gray, but remaining smooth, with age; the leaves are deciduous, alternate, 38 to 89 mm (1.5 to 3.5 inches) long and 19 to 38 mm (0.75 to 1.5 inches) wide; oval to narrowly ovate in shape, leaf margin entire, covered on both sides with silvery white scales, the bottom sometimes with brown spots; the highly fragrant, yellow flowers are perfect, trumpet-shaped (tubular), approximately 13 mm (0.5 inches) in length, borne in the leaf axils in May; the fruit is a silvery-colored, (0.3 inch) long, egg-shaped drupe that ripens in September-October, some fruit may persist on the plant until well into December; the seed is readily cleaned by processing in a macerator, floating off the pulp, and then air drying; cleaned seed stored in sealed containers at 6 to 14 percent moisture content remains viable for up to 2 years. Propagation by seed is quite easy, fresh seed germinates readily with little (60 days or less) or no cold chilling. Late fall field sown seed germinates the next spring, spring sown seed usually germinates the same spring.

Greenhouse asexual propagation with dormant hardwood cuttings treated with 3,000 parts per million IBA, under mist with bottom heat, results in 80 percent, or better, rooting. This species spreads readily, sometimes profusely, by suckers.

Information on the Field propagation of this species by dormant, unrooted hardwood cuttings is not available, but may prove successful on favorable sites. This native species is sometimes confused with the weedy, introduced small tree Russian olive, Elaeagnus angustifolia. Tolerates droughty, high pH and saline sites well.

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Last Modified: 07/05/2007