Silverberry (Wolf Willow) vs American Plum - TreeTime.ca

Silverberry (Wolf Willow) vs American Plum

Elaeagnus commutata

Prunus americana

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2026)

COMING SOON

Silverberry (Wolf Willow)
American Plum

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.

American Plum is a cold-hardy wild plum native to North America that grows as a small tree or large multi-stemmed shrub. Small, firm, red plums ripen from mid to late summer; the skin is tough and tart, whereas the flesh is sweet and juicy. While some enjoy eating them fresh, they are more commonly used for baking and preserves. It is considered a universal pollinizer for other plum varieties and is often used for grafting or as a rootstock.

In spring, American Plum produces abundant white to pink flowers that attract a variety of pollinators, providing an important early-season source of nectar and pollen. It also serves as a host plant for numerous moth and butterfly species. In its native range, it is recognized as an important keystone plant, as it has a disproportionately large impact on local ecosystems.

American Plum tolerates a wide range of soil conditions, from acidic to alkaline, and heavy clay. It is well suited to a variety of projects, including fruit orchards for cross-pollination, as well as pollinator plantings, naturalization, and restoration projects.

Silverberry (Wolf Willow) Quick Facts

American Plum Quick Facts

Zone: 1a
Zone: 3a
Height: 3 m (10 ft)
Height: 6 m (20 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 6 m (20 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: dry, normal
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: fast
Life span: short
Life span: medium
Growth form: rounded to spreading, thicket forming
Spreading: suckering - high
Suckering: high
Maintenance: medium


Toxicity: leaves, stems, pits contain cyanide
Foliage: silvery leaves
Fall colour: gold to orange
Flowers: yellow
Flowers: fragrant, white
Bloom time: early to mid spring
Fruit: small, red plums
Berries: silver, edible
Fruit size: 2-3cm in diameter
Firmness: firm
Harvest: mid to late summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, YT, NT, NU
Native to: SK, MB, ON
Other Names: american silverberry, silver berry, wolf willow
Other Names: american wild plum, wild plum