Silverberry vs. Viburnum

Silverberry

• The common silverberry bush (Elaeagnus commutata) is a native American plant that grows in the northeastern U.S., Midwest and parts of the Southwest. A narrow, upright bush that usually grows 5 to 9 feet tall, it covers itself in small but fragrant yellow flowers in May, followed by berries that ripen in fall and attract birds. Named for its silvery-green foliage, it grows in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 2 through 9. Cultivated silverberry plants include Fruitland silverberry (Elaeagnus pungens "Fruitlandii"), an especially fast-growing cultivar with wavy-edged leaves and a rounded form, and variegated silverberry (Elaeagnus pungens "Maculata"), with green-and-yellow leaves and orange fruits. Less hardy than native silverberry, these types grow in USDA zones 6 and 7 through 9, respectively.

Silverberry Culture

• Both native silverberry and the cultivated varieties do well in either full sun or partial shade, but aren't good choices for low-light, fully-shaded conditions. They tolerate any type of garden soil, provided it's well-drained, and do quite well during dry spells, although regular watering can help a new plant develop a good root system during its first season. Silverberry plants don't tolerate wet, soggy soil well, but you can improve your soil's drainage by adding sand at planting if it's rich in clay and tends to stay moist for long periods. Silverberry can produce suckers, straight shoots that originate at the plant's base and should be removed. It also has spreading roots and can become invasive if not pruned back at the roots or contained with in-ground fencing that surrounds the plant.

Viburnums

• Viburnums comprise a group that contains more than 150 different plants, a considerably larger group than the silverberry plants. Generally more showy when blooming than silverberry, their size and growth habit also varies, making them an especially versatile group of plants that work well as specimens, as part of a mixed border or in flower beds when under-planted with annuals. Examples include the Chinese snowball (Viburnum macrocephalum), which is 10- to 15-feet tall, with large, round white flowers and grows in USDA zones 7 through 9, and the rusty blackhaw viburnum (Viburnum rufidumum), another tall variety with medium-sized white flowers and leathery foliage that turns red in fall; it grows in USDA zones 5 through 9. Shorter types also exist, such as "Conoy" (Viburnum x burkwoodii "Conoy"), only 3- to 6-feet tall with pink buds that open as flat-topped white flowers; it grows in USDA zones 5 through 8.

Viburnum Culture

• Both silverberry plants and viburnums are generally easy-to-grow, but viburnums are somewhat less tolerant of dry soil, preferring even moisture throughout the season. When rainfall falls below 1 inch per week, viburnums can falter and droop without supplemental water. They also benefit from the addition of a 2- or 3-inch layer of organic mulch in spring, which helps retain soil moisture while also keeping weeds down. Like silverberry plants, viburnums grow in either full sun or partial shade and don't do well in a fully-shaded spot.