Shrub to 5.5 m tall, as wide as tall Leaves: alternate, bright green, 5 - 10 cm long, 2 - 4 cm wide, elliptic to oblong or egg-shaped with a rounded to
Shrub to 5.5 m tall, as wide as tall Leaves: alternate, bright green, 5 - 10 cm long, 2 - 4 cm wide, elliptic to oblong or egg-shaped with a rounded to slightly tapered base, sometimes with few scales above, covered with silver scales and few brown scales beneath. Flowers: solitary or in groups of two or three near leaf axils, sliver-white, tubular calyx with tube longer than calyx lobes. Fruit: fleshy with an achene in the center, borne on a stalk to 1 cm long, red with dots of pale scales, 6 - 8 mm long, abundant, fragrant. Twigs: covered with silver and brown scales, often spiny.
Similar species: All species of the Elaeagnaceae family in the Chicago Region have silvery white leaves with non-toothed margins, flowers with a tubular calyx and no petals, and berry-like fruit. Shepherdia canadensis is a 1 - 3 m tall shrub with opposite leaves, while species of Elaeagnus have alternate leaves. Elaeagnus angustifolia is a shrub or tree reaching 10 m tall, has twigs with or without thorns, lance-shaped leaves silver on both surfaces, a yellow calyx center, and yellow fruit with s