(Common Water Hyacinth)

Common water hyacinth is beautiful aquatic plant native to South America. It is a floating plant that forms dense mats, sometimes rooting in the mud. The leaves are elliptical to oval arising from rosettes on inflated petioles. The roots are dark blue-black and feathery. New plants form readily along floating stolons or horizontal stems. The flowers are held above the foliage in dense spikes when the weather is warm. The flowers are generally 2-lipped with blue to lavender petals and a central yellow...

(Elaeagnus)

A pleasant upright-shaped shrub with gently arching branches, the Quicksilver silverberry glistens with silvery gray-green foliage and red fruits. A hybrid originating in England as a chance seedling, 'Quicksilver' is a fast-growing deciduous shrub.

The thin branches have thorns. At first, the branches are held upright, but as they lengthen and carry more weight they begin to arch. In early spring, the oval leaves emerge with a whitish silver hue. They mature to silvery gray-green. In late spring...

(Russian Olive)

Russian olive is a large deciduous shrub or small tree that's remarkably hardy and beautiful but known to be invasive. It is native to southern Europe, Russia, central Asia and parts of China where it inhabits coastal regions, lake shores, dry river beds and mountainous areas. It has also become naturalized throughout much of North America. In addition to its graceful habit and silvery leaves it is valued for its edible fruit, quality timber and fast-growing nature.

The narrow, lance-shaped leaves...

(Red King Russion Olive, Russion Olive)

Russian olive is a large, deciduous shrub or small tree. It is native to southern Europe, central Asia and parts of China. The narrow, lance-shaped leaves are green above and silvery, gray-green below. Its brown, scaly, often thorny branches are covered with exfoliating bark that adds winter interest. The cultivar ‘Red King’ has silvery white, strongly fragrant flowers with yellow centers occur in late spring or early summer and are followed by edible, red-rust, olive-like fruit.

Russian olive...

(Silverberry)

The uncommonly hardy American silverberry exists in the far northern reaches of America and Canada and can even be found in areas with permafrost. In colder regions it survives as a very short shrub and in the warmer parts of its range it can be sizable. All plants tend to sucker. Wild populations are most commonly found along oceansides, in upland prairies and areas with dry sandy or gravelly soils. They are shallow-rooted and commonly planted as fast-growing windbreaks in natural areas.

This...

(Goumi)

A native of the open woods and thickets of China, goumi is a variable species valued for its edible fruit as well as ornamental qualities. This large, flat-topped, densely-foliaged shrub or small tree has spreading branches with a pleasing look. It is fully deciduous and fixes atmospheric nitrogen into the soil.

The tough, fast-growing silverberries, or silverthorns, are irresistible to gardeners looking to fill large spaces fast. Most of these shrubby woody plants are grown for their interesting...

(Autumn Olive)

Though native to China, Korea and Japan, autumn olive has become naturalized across all of eastern North America since its initial introduction in 1830. The silvery red berries of this large deciduous shrub are produced in profusion and eaten and spread by birds and other wildlife. Tough and fast-growing, the autumn olive was once favored as a roadside shrub because it creates fast cover and fixes atmospheric nitrogen into the soil. It has since fallen into disfavor because it is a proven invasive...

(Ebbing's Silverberry)

Ebbing’s silverberry is a large, fast-growing shrub that is believed to be a hybrid between Elaeagnus pungens and E. macrophylla. In the northernmost parts of its hardiness it is semi-evergreen but in regions with warmers winters it is fully evergreen. There are many cultivated varieties to choose from and all are tough, thriving in poor, droughty soils, and relatively fast-growing. This is a more cold-sensitive species that does not thrive in zones colder than 7.

The elliptical...

(Ebbing's Silverberry)

This variegated form of Ebbing’s silverberry has lustrous golden leaves edged in green. It grows to a medium height, has a bushy, rounded habit and produces orangish fruit in winter.

Ebbing’s silverberry is a large, fast-growing shrub that is believed to be a hybrid between Elaeagnus pungens and E. macrophylla. In the northernmost parts of its hardiness it is semi-evergreen but in regions with warmers winters it is fully evergreen. There are many cultivated varieties to choose...

(Ebbing's Silverberry, Gilt Edge Silverberry)

Ebbing’s silverberry ‘Gilt Edge’ is a tough, fast-growing, large shrub of hybrid origin. It has interesting elliptical leaves, scruffy to the tough and eye, dark green in the center with striking, irregular yellow margins. Elaeagnus tends to grow rapidly with long branches - a semi-climbing habit. The branches are thornless. The extremely fragrant, tiny white to silver flowers are bell-shaped with spreading lobes and are produced in the fall and winter at the joint between leaves and branches in...