Elaeagnus pungens (Thorny elaeagnus)

This evergreen shrub sends a sunny glow through the darkest spaces. It quickly becomes a fountain of arching, somewhat spiny branches lined with 3- to 4-inch-long leaves splashed a bright yellow. On their silvery undersides, the leaves are speckled with a metallic copper color, which also covers the twigs. The flowers are tiny and white, clustered under the leaves in fall. Though nearly unseen, they call out to passersby with their rich fragrance. Small orange fruit follow in spring.

This vigorous, coarsely textured evergreen shrub has an upright habit and 8-inch-long, lustrous, deeply veined oval leaves with dark blue-green surfaces and pale green undersides. The leaf stems are fuzzy brown. In spring, fragrant creamy-white flowers bloom in clusters. Blue berries form in June and become plump through September, maturing to glossy black. Plants grow 10-15 feet tall and wide.

(1 user review)

Large—to 20 inches across—almost rounded, lobed leaves colored a downy gray-tinged green contrast beautifully with almost any companion plant. This thicket-forming, sparsely branched, evergreen shrub, which behaves like an herbaceous perennial in Zones 6 and 7, produces thick, leafy shoots topped by white flowers borne on branching stems to 20 inches long in fall.

This variety has single, papery white blossoms that open from light pink buds and have contrasting yellow stamens. The heavily-scented flowers are followed by reddish-orange hips. It grows up to 6 feet high.