American silver-berry, wolf willow, chalef argenté

Elaeagnus argentea Pursh, Fl. Amer. Sept. 1: 114. 1813 (as Elaeagrus), not Moench 1794

Trees, 2–5 m, clonal. Stems unarmed, densely brownish scaly when young, scales fading gray in age. Leaves deciduous; blade elliptic or ovate-oblong, 2–7 × 1–3(–5) cm, length 2 times width, surfaces with dense, silvery scales and stellate hairs, sometimes with scattered, brown scales abaxially. Flowers usually in pairs; hypanthium broadly flared, 4–7 mm distal to constriction; calyx yellow or yellow-green, 2.5–4 mm, covered with silver scales; nectary disc inconspicuous. Fruits silver, orbicular, 5–15 mm, densely scaly. 2n = 28.

Flowering Jun–Jul. Stream banks, moist, open slopes; 0–2500 m; Alta., B.C., Man., N.W.T., Ont., Que., Sask., Yukon; Alaska, Calif., Colo., Idaho, Minn., Mont., N.Dak., S.Dak., Tex., Utah, Wyo.