Silverberry (Wolf Willow) vs Grouseberry - TreeTime.ca

Silverberry (Wolf Willow) vs Grouseberry

Elaeagnus commutata

Vaccinium scoparium

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Silverberry (Wolf Willow)
Grouseberry

Silverberry (also known as Wolf Willow) is a common native North American shrub. This beautiful ornamental plant has characteristic silver leaves and fragrant yellow flowers.

Its silver berries remain on the branches through the winter. Silverberry is cold hardy and has some ability as a nitrogen fixer. It can grow on dry to moist sandy/gravel soils. This plant is very low maintenance.

Grouseberry is a native, low-growing deciduous shrub known for its edible red berries. In early summer, it produces small, urn-shaped flowers ranging from white to pink that attract bees and other pollinators. The berries provide an important food source for many types of wildlife, including game birds such as grouse, which gives the plant its common name. People can also enjoy the berries fresh or in baked goods, though they can be difficult to harvest in large quantities.

Spreading by rhizomes, Grouseberry forms dense, broom-like mats that help stabilize soil and prevent erosion, while also providing cover for ground-nesting wildlife. It is commonly found beneath conifers in open forests, subalpine meadows, and occasionally on rocky slopes in mountainous regions. It is well-suited for naturalization, ecological restoration, and soil stabilization projects.

Silverberry (Wolf Willow) Quick Facts

Grouseberry Quick Facts

Zone: 1a
Zone: 2a
Height: 3 m (10 ft)
Height: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: shade, partial shade
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: slow
Life span: short
Life span: medium
Growth form: low growing, colony-forming
Spreading: rhizomes - medium
Suckering: high
Maintenance: medium


Foliage: silvery leaves
Fall colour: reddish
Flowers: yellow
Flowers: small pink, bell-shaped
Bloom time: spring
Berries: silver, edible
Berries: small, bright red, edible
Flavor: tart
Harvest: summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, YT, NT, NU
Native to: AB, BC
Other Names: american silverberry, silver berry, wolf willow
Other Names: dwarf red whortleberry, grouse whortleberry, little-leaved huckleberry, red alpine blueberry, small-leaved huckleberry