Silvery native shrub confirmed growing wild in Calgary
iNaturalist: huds_king
Native Plants
If you're gardening on the prairies, Silverberry is a nitrogen-fixing native shrub that tolerates drought, wind, and poor soil, making this Calgary sighting a useful local proof that it can thrive right in your own yard.
Someone out for a walk in Calgary spotted a Silverberry shrub, snapped a photo, and had it verified by other naturalists as a confirmed identification. Silverberry is a tough native shrub with silvery leaves and fragrant flowers that fixes its own nitrogen in the soil, which is part of why it survives in harsh, dry, windy conditions across the northern prairies.
Key Findings
Observation reached 'research-grade' status on iNaturalist, meaning the identification was verified by the community
Sighting confirms presence of Elaeagnus commutata (Silverberry) within Calgary's urban area
Species is a nitrogen-fixing native shrub adapted to dry, windy prairie conditions
chevron_right Technical Summary
A citizen scientist confirmed a research-grade sighting of Silverberry, a silvery-leaved native shrub, growing in Calgary, adding a verified data point to our picture of where this hardy plant thrives in urban prairie landscapes.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Silverberry (Elaeagnus commutata) observed in Calgary
Research-grade observation of Silverberry in Calgary.
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
Species Mentioned
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Elaeagnus commutata, the silverberry or wolf-willow, is a species of Elaeagnus native to western and boreal North America, from southern Alaska through British Columbia east to Quebec, south to Utah, and across the upper Midwestern United States to South Dakota and western Minnesota. It typically...