Habitat

• native to southern Europe through the Himalayas
• hardy to zone 2
• Special Note: This species has demonstrated an invasive tendency in Connecticut, meaning it may escape from cultivation and naturalize in minimally managed areas. For more information, Click Here.

Habit and Form

• a deciduous large shrub or tree
• over 15' tall and widespreading
• rounded habit
• fast growth rate
• fine to medium texture

Summer Foliage

• alternate, deciduous leaves
• simple leaves
• linear to lanceolate leaf shape
• 1.5' to 3" long
• dull green to gray green leaf color
• silvery underside
• entire leaf margin

Autumn Foliage

• no fall color

Flowers

• silvery white flowers
• small, but abundant
• blooms in May
• foliage tend to cover flowers
• fragrant

Fruit

• drupe-like yellow fruit
• 0.5" long
• fruit is covered with silver scales
• matures in September
• edible

Bark

• silvery, thin stems
• thorns sometimes present
• covered in scales
• grayish-brown older bark

Culture

• easily transplanted
• salt tolerant
• very tough and adaptable
• full sun
• prune tolerant

Landscape Use

• for silvery foliage
• hedge or screen
• seacoast or highways
• for durability

Liabilities

• thorns sometimes present
• leaf spot, canker, aphids
• verticillium

ID Features

• small, sessile, solitary, conical buds
• suckers / invasive
• alternate leaf arrangement
• brown lenticels cover every part of plant
• silvery look to foliage, fruit and flowers
• yellow fruit

Propagation

• by seed
• by tissue culture

Cultivars/Varieties

The only cultivars available are selected clones with better fruiting. Among them is 'Red King', with deep red fruits.