Other Names:  Button Mangrove

Description:

A low branching, shrubby evergreen tree that features beautiful silvery, fuzzy leaves; insignificant flowers in spring are followed by cone-like, reddish-brown fruit that appear and persist year round; creates a nice hedge or specimen tree with pruning

Ornamental Features

Silver Buttonwood is primarily grown for its highly ornamental fruit. The chartreuse fruits which fade to burgundy over time are held in abundance in spectacular cones from mid summer to late winter. It has attractive grayish green-variegated bluish-green foliage with hints of silver. The small fuzzy oval leaves are highly ornamental and remain bluish-green throughout the winter. The furrowed dark brown bark is extremely showy and adds significant winter interest.

Landscape Attributes

Silver Buttonwood is a dense multi-stemmed evergreen tree with an upright spreading habit of growth. It lends an extremely fine and delicate texture to the landscape composition which can make it a great accent feature on this basis alone.

This tree will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and can be pruned at anytime. It is a good choice for attracting birds and squirrels to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Silver Buttonwood is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Shade
• Hedges/Screening
• Windbreaks and Shelterbelts

Planting & Growing

Silver Buttonwood will grow to be about 20 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 30 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 4 feet from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 40 years or more. This is a self-pollinating variety, so it doesn't require a second plant nearby to set fruit.

This tree does best in full sun to partial shade. It is an amazingly adaptable plant, tolerating both dry conditions and even some standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for xeriscaping or the moisture-conserving landscape. This plant will benefit from an application of bonemeal and/or mycorrhizal fertilizer at the time of planting. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in sandy soils, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This species is native to parts of North America.