silverberry

not listed

NNR - Unranked

SNR - Unranked

not listed

UPL - Obligate upland

UPL - Obligate upland

UPL - Obligate upland

Silverberry is an erect, long-lived, perennial shrub that rises on a single stem from a strong rhizome. It sometimes forms thickets. It can be from 3½′ to 13′ tall at maturity, though in Minnesota it is usually no more than 6′ in height.

The bark on young plants is gray or grayish-brown. On mature plants the bark becomes rough and scaly.

First-year branches are densely covered with shiny, brown, bran-like scales. Second-year branches are ashy gray. There are no thorns.

The leaves are alternate, deciduous, elliptical, 1⅜″ to 2½″ long, and ⅝″ to 1⅜″ wide. They are on scaly, ⅛″ to ¼″ long leaf stalks. The upper surface is covered with silvery, bran-like scales. The lower surface is covered with silvery, bran-like scales and often also has a few reddish scales. The margins are untoothed. The scales give the leaves a metallic appearance.

The inflorescence is a cluster of 1 to 4 flowers rising from the leaf axils near the base of current-year twigs.

The flowers are ¼″ to ⅜″ long and perfect (have both male and female parts). The 4 sepals are fused at the base into a bell-shaped tube, then separated into 4 triangular to egg-shaped, spreading lobes. They are yellow on the inside, and silvery on the outside. There are no petals. The flowers appear in early June to early July.

The fruit is a broadly ellipse-shaped, ⅜″ to 9 ⁄16″ long, dry, mealy drupe. It is silvery due to a dense covering of scales. The fruit ripens in early-August to early-September and is dispersed by birds and other animals. The pit is ellipse-shaped.

3½′ to 13′

Yellow inside, silvery outside

Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia) is a large shrub or small tree. The leaves are narrower.

Dry to moderate moisture. Prairies, meadows, streambanks, thickets. Full sun or light shade.

Late May to early July

Sources

2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 28, 29, 30.

Native

Habitat

Plant

Leaves

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