prairie shrub

Silverberry

Elaeagnus commutata

Native to the Rockies and Canada

Quebec to Alaska, south to northwestern Minnesota, north-central South Dakota, northeastern Montana and in the Rockies to Utah

Light Full sun to shade Sun tolerance
Moisture Dry Moisture preference
Zones 1–8 Cold to heat range
Bloom May–Jun Flowering time
Height up to 15 ft to 4.6 m
Life cycle Perennial Annual to perennial

Full details, see below

In the garden

A prairie shrub for sun through shade and lean, dry soil. Its yellow flowers peak in June. At up to 15 ft, it needs room in meadows and sunny borders. It shrugs off drought once established. Hardy in USDA zones 1–8.

Growing conditions

Light

Full sun Partial shade Full shade

Moisture

Dry Moist Wet

Hardiness zones

Find your zone:

When it blooms

The Silverberry's yellow flowers bloom May to June, peaking in June. This early-summer display draws bees and butterflies.

Silverberry blooms yellowFoliage

Pollinators & wildlife

Bees Tricolored Bumble Bee

also Western Honey Bee, Red-belted Bumble Bee, Hunt's Bumble Bee +10 more
Nevada Bumble Bee, Yellow-banded Bumble Bee, Indiscriminate Cuckoo Bumble Bee, Carlin's Mining Bee, Orange-legged Miner Bee, Imitator Miner Bee, Milwaukee Mining Bee, Dunning's Miner, Andrena illinoiensis, Maria Miner Bee
Butterflies Silver-spotted Skipper

also Painted Lady, Clouded Sulphur, Canadian Tiger Swallowtail +8 more
Silvery Blue, Milbert's Tortoiseshell, Persius Duskywing, Common Alpine, Edwards's Fritillary, Great Plains Crescent, Uhler's Arctic, Tharsalea rubidus
Flower flies Broad-headed Marsh Fly also Exoprosopa eremita
Also visited by
- Moths: Snowberry Clearwing, Ornate Apamea
- Beetles: Seven-spotted Lady Beetle, Coccinella transversoguttata

Butterflies that use this plant

Documented host and nectar records. Each links to a planting guide for that butterfly.

Full plant details

Where it grows

Habitat: PrairieThe wild plant community it grows in.
Native range: The Rockies and CanadaUnited States (10): AK, CO, ID, MN, MT, ND, SD, UT, WA, WY. Canada (8): AB, MB, NT, NU, ON, QC, SK, YT. Where it grows wild on its own, by state and province.
Native distribution: Quebec to Alaska, south to northwestern Minnesota, north-central South Dakota, northeastern Montana and in the Rockies to UtahThe same native range, usually more exact than the state list, and often noting where it has spread beyond it.

Growing conditions

Light: Full sun to shadeHow much sun it takes, from full sun to full shade.
Moisture: DryThe soil dampness it prefers, from dry to wet.
Hardiness zones: USDA 1–8 · Canadian 0–7The cold-to-heat climate range it survives.
Soil: Well-drained, poor soilsThe soils it grows in naturally.
Soil texture: Light to heavy (sandy to clay)The soil grade it prefers, from sand to clay.
Soil pH: 5.0–7.9The acidity to alkalinity it tolerates (7 is neutral).
Soil quality: LowHow rich a soil it needs. Many natives prefer lean soil and flop in rich beds.
Water use: LowHow thirsty it is, a rough guide to how often to water.
Drought tolerance: HighRelative to plants of the same type and region, inferred from where it grows, not a days-without-water figure.
Salinity tolerance: MediumHow well it copes with salty soil, near roads or the coast.
Lime (CaCO₃) tolerance: HighHow well it copes with chalky, lime-rich soil.

Growth & form

Height: up to 15 ft (to 4.6 m)Typical mature height.
Spread: ~5 ft (1.5 m)How wide one plant gets, a guide to spacing.
Life cycle: PerennialWhether it lives a single season (annual), two (biennial), or returns for years (perennial).
Growth rate: RapidA relative ranking versus other plants of the same type (USDA), not an absolute rate.
Shape: ErectIts overall silhouette.
Root depth: 18+ in (46+ cm)How far the roots reach, a guide to drought resilience and transplanting.

Flowers, foliage & fruit

Type: ShrubWhat kind of plant it is.
Bloom: May–JunWhen it flowers.
Flower color: YellowThe bloom color, or colors.
Fruit/Seeds: ripens Apr–OctThe seed or fruit it sets after flowering.
Toxicity: None knownWhether any part is poisonous to people or pets.

Propagation & seed

Cold stratification: Required (cold, moist)Whether seed needs a cold, moist spell before it will germinate.
Propagation: Bare root, container, seedHow to start new plants.
Seed: ~0.0 million seeds per poundNotes on the seed and how to sow it.
Seed spread rate: SlowHow readily it self-sows. Slow or none means well-behaved, not a spreader.
Seedling vigor: HighHow strongly young seedlings establish.
Vegetative spread: NoneWhether it creeps outward or stays put in a clump.