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Trees With Silver Gray Leaves

While all trees contain the green pigment chlorophyll -- it's necessary for photosynthesis -- some trees have silvery gray foliage. This color shift is generally due to trichomes, or tiny hairs, on foliage surfaces that mask chlorophyll's characteristic green hue, causing leaves to appear lighter by increasing their reflectivity. Known as structural color, this silvery gray hue is an evolutionary adaptation commonly found in plants native to hot regions. Silver gray leaves absorb less solar energy than green leaves, thereby keeping plants cooler.

  1. USDA Zone 4

    • For year-round color and texture, the "Violacea" white fir (Abies concolor "Violacea") has silver gray evergreen needles. This cultivar grows slowly to 50 feet tall and is hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 to 7. It grows best in moist, acidic sites.If you want to attract wildlife to your landscape, plant a Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia). This deciduous tree has linear silver gray foliage and blooms with aromatic summer flowers, followed by black-brown fruits. The Russian olive is hardy in USDA zones 3 to 8.

    USDA Zone 6

    • FIll a large site in your landscape with a Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis). A native of western North America, this 160-foot-tall conifer has short, dense silvery gray needles. It's hardy in USDA zones 6 to 9 and thrives in moist, acidic soils. For an eye-catching specimen tree, plant a weeping willow-leaf pear (Pyrus salicifolia). With its lanceolate silvery leaves and weeping form, this 25-foot-tall deciduous tree stands out against a sea of green. It's hardy in USDA zones 4 to 7 and grows best in moist sites.

    USDA Zone 8

    • Dried gum tree foliage emits a characteristic eucalyptus fragrance.

      "Naylor's Blue" Leyland cypress (Cupressocyparis × leylandii "Naylor's Blue") has silver gray scales. This evergreen grows in USDA zones 6 to 9 and reaches heights of 50 feet. Its pyramidal shape and dense foliage make this hybrid cypress an attractive screening tree. Add an aromatic scent to your landscape with a snow gum (Eucalyptus pauciflora subsp. niphophila. This Australian native has silver gray, lanceolate leaves and a low canopy. It grows to 25 feet tall and is hardy in USDA zones 8 to 10.

    USDA Zone 10

    • A desert tree, the silver wattle (Acacia dealbata) grows well in sunny or partially shaded sites with dry, alkaline soil. This Australia native is hardy in USDA zones 9 to 10 and reaches heights of 50 feet. Its 50-foot-wide canopy of tiny, compound silver gray leaves creates dappled shade on the ground underneath. Another Australian tree, the pearl acacia (Acacia podalyriifolia) has round, silvery gray leaves. Hardy in USDA zones 10 to 11, the pearl acacia grows to 20 feet tall and tolerates drought and a variety of site conditions.

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Trees
  1. Mango Trees With Dry, Brown Spots on the Leaves
  2. Trees With Leaves That Look Like Sassafras
  3. Small Trees With Green Leaves & Pink Flowers
  4. Pear Tree With Black Spots on Leaves
  5. Desert Bushes With Silver Leaves
  6. Trees & Bushes With Edible Leaves
  7. Trees With Tiny Leaves & Long Seed Pods
  8. Multi-Trunk Trees With a Weeping Habit
  9. Spraying Mango Trees With Copper
  10. Trees With Purple Seedpods
  11. Trees With Weeping Branches
  12. Tips on Fruitless Olive Trees with Brown Leaves

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