Silver buttonwood

Sun

Full sun; light shade is tolerated, but growth becomes looser and the silver foliage less striking.

Water

Water regularly while establishing, then during prolonged dry spells. Container plants need watering whenever the upper soil begins to dry.

Soil

Adaptable to sandy, loamy, alkaline and moderately saline soils. Well-drained soil is best in gardens and essential in containers.

Height

15-25 ft (4.6-7.6 m) if left unclipped; occasionally taller in favorable conditions

Spread

15-20 ft (4.6-6.1 m)

Foliage

Evergreen. Oval, leathery leaves covered with fine, silky hairs that give them a silver-gray appearance; small brown, buttonlike fruit clusters follow the inconspicuous flowers.

Growth

Moderate to fast in warm conditions

Care needed

Medium

• Pollinators
• Drought tolerant
• Heat tolerant
• Wildlife
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Moderate

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   7 ft (2 m)

2. After 1 year

   7 ft (2.3 m)

3. After 2 years

   8 ft (2.5 m)

4. After 3 years

   9 ft (2.8 m)

5. After 5 years

   11 ft (3.3 m)

About 16 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Native to

the US

Growth rate

Fast

• Water deeply through the first growing season, allowing the surface soil to dry between waterings.
• Apply a 2-3 in (5-8 cm) layer of mulch over the root zone, keeping it clear of the trunk.
• Feed lightly in spring only if growth is weak or the soil is poor; feed container plants according to the fertilizer label.
• Use a pot with drainage holes and a free-draining potting mix for container growing.
• Move container plants into bright, frost-free shelter before cold weather and reduce watering while growth is slow.

Pruning. Prune in spring once the risk of frost has passed, removing dead branches and selectively shortening shoots to shape the crown. Clip hedges lightly during warm weather, but avoid hard pruning just before winter.

Spring

Plant outdoors once the soil is warm and frost risk has passed; water thoroughly.

Spring

Remove cold-damaged growth once new shoots show which branches are alive.

Early summer

Lightly trim hedges or train young plants into a single-trunk tree.

Summer

Check young plants and containers for drying soil, and inspect stems for scale insects.

Autumn

Move container plants under frost-free cover before cold nights arrive.

Winter

Keep sheltered plants in strong light and water sparingly without letting the root ball dry out completely.

• Clip into a silver hedge or screen in a warm coastal garden.
• Train as a small specimen tree against dark walls or green foliage.
• Combine with agaves and ornamental grasses for contrasting leaf shapes in dry, sunny planting.
• Use a large container as a silver focal point on a sunny terrace, with winter shelter where needed.

Garden styles it suits: Coastal, Modern tropical, Architectural minimal, Desert / xeriscape, Florida subtropical and Caribbean.

Plant it with: Sea grape, Coontie, Pink muhly grass, Dwarf palmetto and Agave.

Wildlife: The small flowers attract bees and other insects. Dense branches provide shelter and nesting cover for birds.

• Cold damage: frost can scorch leaves and kill stems; grow under frost-free conditions and wait until spring growth starts before cutting back damaged wood.
• Scale insects: inspect stems and leaf undersides; treat affected areas with horticultural oil labeled for the plant, avoiding hot sun and drought-stressed foliage.
• Sooty mold: black coating can develop on honeydew from sap-feeding insects; control the insects, then let weathering or gentle washing remove the coating.
• Container root decline: persistently wet potting mix can damage roots; provide open drainage and let the upper mix dry before watering again.

Not known to be toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses, but reliable species-specific safety information is limited. The leaves, bark and fruits are not established foods; discourage chewing or eating them.

• Green buttonwood (Conocarpus erectus)

  The ordinary green form has mostly smooth green leaves rather than the dense, silky silver covering of 'Sericeus'.

• White mangrove (Laguncularia racemosa)

  It has opposite, rounded green leaves with paired glands near the top of each leaf stalk; silver buttonwood has alternate, silvery leaves.

• Silverberry (Elaeagnus commutata)

  This cold-hardy, deciduous shrub has silvery-scaled leaves, fragrant flowers and fleshy fruits rather than buttonwood's hard, buttonlike fruit clusters.

Buttonwood refers to the rounded, buttonlike fruit clusters, while 'Sericeus' means silky and describes the fine hairs covering the silver leaves.

Propagation. Take semi-ripe cuttings during warm weather and root them in a free-draining medium with warmth and humidity. Use cuttings from a silver-leaved plant to preserve its foliage character; seedlings may vary.

Accepted botanical name

Conocarpus erectus

In the US and Canada

Native in the lower 48 states, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands. Introduced in Hawaii.

Native range

Angola, Aruba, Bahamas, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Brazil North, Brazil Northeast, Brazil South, Brazil Southeast, Cabinda and Cameroon.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.