Wolf willow

Sun

Full sun is best; tolerates light partial shade but becomes more open.

Water

Water regularly during the first growing season. Once established, it tolerates drought, though prolonged dryness can cause leaf loss.

Soil

Well-drained sandy, gravelly or loamy soil, including poor and alkaline soils. Tolerates some clay provided it does not remain waterlogged.

Height

6-12 ft (1.8-3.7 m)

Spread

6-12 ft (1.8-3.7 m), eventually wider through root suckers

Flowers

Late spring to early summer; small, fragrant flowers with silvery outsides and yellow interiors.

Foliage

Oval to narrowly oval leaves covered in silvery scales on both surfaces; usually little autumn colour.

Growth

Moderate; established plants can spread steadily by suckering.

Care needed

Medium

• Pollinators
• Drought tolerant
• Cold hardy
• Wildlife
• Low allergen
• Fragrant

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

Difficulty

Easy

Toughness

Very tough

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

1. Planting day

   1.6 ft (0.5 m)

2. After 1 year

   3 ft (0.95 m)

3. After 2 years

   5 ft (1.4 m)

4. After 3 years

   6 ft (1.8 m)

5. After 5 years

   9 ft (2.8 m)

   full size

About 5 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

Canada

In the garden

Spreads vigorously: plan to contain it.

Growth rate

Moderate

• Water deeply during dry spells in the first growing season, allowing the soil surface to dry between waterings.
• Apply a light organic mulch, keeping it clear of the stem bases.
• Avoid routine nitrogen feeding; this shrub fixes nitrogen through bacteria associated with its roots.
• Remove unwanted suckers while small, cutting them back to their point of origin where practical.
• Give it room away from small perennials, paving and tightly managed borders.

Pruning. In late winter or early spring, remove dead or damaged wood and cut a few of the oldest stems to ground level if the shrub is crowded. Avoid regular shearing, which spoils its loose shape and encourages dense regrowth.

Late winter

Thin crowded stems and remove dead or damaged wood before growth starts.

Spring

Plant while conditions are cool, water thoroughly and mulch around the root area.

Late spring

Check the edges of the planting and remove unwanted root suckers.

Summer

Water young plants during dry weather; established plants usually need little supplementary watering.

Autumn

Leave the silvery fruit for wildlife and check whether the colony needs containing.

Late autumn

Move rooted suckers after leaf fall if you want to start another planting.

• Plant as an informal silver-leaved screen where a spreading thicket has room to develop.
• Combine with prairie grasses and drought-tolerant flowers for contrasting colour and texture.
• Use in sunny wildlife hedges in its native North American range, allowing space for nesting cover.
• Plant on well-drained banks where its suckering roots can help hold the soil.

Garden styles it suits: Native meadow, Midwest prairie, Wildlife garden, Native hedgerow, Desert / xeriscape and Sensory garden.

Plant it with: Little bluestem, Switchgrass, Purple coneflower, Yarrow, Prairie smoke and Blanket flower.

Wildlife: The fragrant flowers attract bees and other pollinating insects. Birds eat the fruit, and established thickets provide shelter and nesting cover.

• Unwanted suckers: remove shoots promptly and avoid planting beside small beds where spreading roots will be difficult to manage.
• Root decline in waterlogged ground: improve drainage or move the plant to a better-drained position; do not keep watering wet soil.
• Leaf spots: usually minor; clear fallen affected leaves and avoid overhead watering if spotting recurs.
• Stem dieback or canker: prune affected stems back to healthy wood in dry weather and clean tools between cuts.

Not known to be toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses. The fruit flesh is edible but dry and mealy; the hard seed is not normally eaten. Specific veterinary safety information is limited.

Where it spreads. Spreads aggressively by root suckers in suitable gardens, including in its native range across Canada and the northern and western United States. Allow for thicket formation; this is not the same species as invasive Russian olive.

• Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia)

  Usually develops into a larger shrub or small tree, often with thorny branches. Its leaves are generally longer and narrower; wolf willow is normally unarmed and forms a lower suckering thicket.

• Autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata)

  Leaves are green above and silvery beneath, and ripe fruit is red with pale speckles. Wolf willow has silvery leaves on both sides and silvery fruit.

• Silver buffaloberry (Shepherdia argentea)

  Has opposite leaves, often thorny branches and red or yellow-orange fruit. Wolf willow has alternate leaves and silvery fruit.

The common name silverberry refers to the silvery scales covering the fruit.

Propagation. Lift rooted suckers during dormancy, retaining as much root as possible, and replant promptly. Seed can also be used, but germination is slow and generally requires a period of cold, moist stratification.

Accepted botanical name

Elaeagnus commutata

Native range

Alaska, Alberta, British Columbia, California, Colorado, Idaho, Manitoba, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Northwest Territorie and Nunavut.

Measured

Soil pH 5 to 7.9. Average height 250 cm.

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