Trees with white flowers or silver foliage can look impressive even from a distance. There are different types of silver trees that have white bark or silvery leaves.
But it can be tricky to identify these trees and differentiate between them. We search and search, but it’s challenging to find the information that we need.
No matter what we do, we just can’t find the information that we want about silver trees.
Well, no more! Today, we take a look at a list of tree species with silver coloring. Keep reading to see what types of silver trees are out there.
1. Silver Tree (Leucadendron Argenteum)
The silver tree is a deciduous tree in the family Proteaceae, native to eastern Australia. It grows up to 20 meters tall and has large glossy leaves that are dark green on top and pale underneath.
The flowers appear from late winter through spring, with yellow-green petals, white stamens, and red pistils.
2. Silver Birch (Betula Pendula)
A small deciduous tree or shrub of the genus Betula found throughout Europe and North America. The leaves of the silver birch are alternate, simple, entire, oval-shaped, pointed at both ends.
They grow from 6–20 cm long, have an average width of 3–6 mm, and a length of 10–30 cm. The leaves turn bright golden yellow in autumn.
Silver birches are some of the most common white trees.
3. Naylor’s Blue Leyland Cypress (Cuprocyparis Leylandii)
This is a medium-sized evergreen cypress tree that can be found growing wild in many parts of the world. It is also known as the blue leyland cypress, blue cypress, or blue leyland cypress.
It is named after John Naylor who first described it in 1810. Its green leaves look bluish-silver all year round.
4. White Poplar (Populus Alba)
A deciduous tree belonging to the poplars group of plants. It is one of the best-known species of this type of tree.
The White poplar tree is very popular for its fast growth rate and ease of cultivation.
This is one of the reasons you can often find it by the roadside and in parks.
The white polar silver leaves are compound, with three leaflets, each leaflet having five lobes. They are produced during the summer months and fall off in autumn.
The flowers are catkins, which produce pollen grains that float on the wind and fertilize other trees.
5. Lotus Hirsutus (Dorycnium Hirsutum)
A perennial herbaceous plant, commonly called lotus hirsutus, belongs to the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae.
It is a native of China and Japan. The name of this white tree comes from the Latin word “hirsuta”, meaning hairy.
Its stems are erect, branched, slender, glabrous, and usually about 2 m high. The leaves are opposite, oblong, lanceolate, acute, and pubescent.
The flowers of Lotus Hirsutus are solitary, axillary, pedunculate, hermaphrodite, zygomorphic, bisexual, and fragrant.
The calyx is tubular, 5-parted; the corolla is campanulate, 5-parted, and the upper lip is shorter than the lower lip.
The fruit is a capsule containing numerous seeds.
6. Cardoon (Cynara Cardunculus)
A perennial plant of the amaranth family, Amaranthaceae, cardoon is native to southern Europe, Africa, Asia, and North America.
The cardoon is a biennial plant, whose stem grows upright and reaches heights of 1–2 m.
The plant consists of two main sections: the underground rootstock and the flowering stalk above ground.
The roots are thick fleshy taproots, which are often cooked for different dishes.
The flower heads of cardoons are arranged in clusters along the flowering stalk. Each head contains several tiny florets, which are surrounded by four sepals and six petals.
The flower has no stamens or pistils. Its fruits are dry capsules, which contain many tiny black seeds.
7. Silver Wattle (Acacia Dealbata)
An Australian wattle, Acacia dealbata, is a small shrub or small tree that grows up to 4 m tall.
The leaves are simple, alternate, pinnately veined, and elliptical. The flowers are small, yellowish-white, clustered at the ends of branches.
The wood of this common tree is used for fencing, firewood, and timber. The bark can also be used medicinally.
8. Silver Queen (Pittosporum Tenuifolium)
This is an attractive, hardy, drought-tolerant, evergreen tree, Pittosporum tenuifolium. It is endemic to Australia and is found only in South Eastern Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania.
The mainly silvery foliage of this tree also shows dark green and glossy patches.
The flowers of the silver queen tree are creamy white, borne singly or in pairs. They appear in spring and stay through summer.
The tree is widely cultivated as an ornamental garden plant, especially in subtropical areas.
9. Snow Gum Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus Pauciflora Niphophila)
This is a medium-sized eucalyptus species, growing to between 10 and 20 meters tall.
The leaves of snow gum have been described as being “snow white” when young but turning golden brown as they mature.
The flowers of this tree are produced in large numbers during the winter months.
The flowers are small, white, bell-shaped with five petals. The fruit is a globose follicle, containing one seed.
10. Sterling Silver (Caryopteris Clandonensis)
This is a deciduous, herbaceous perennial plant of the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae. It is native to western North America from British Columbia south to California.
The leaves are oval, pointed, and serrated. The flowers are small and white, appearing in early spring before the leaves emerge.
The fruit of the sterling silver tree is round (about 3 cm diameter) and covered in bristles.
11. Juniper (Juniperus Cedrus)
This is a coniferous evergreen tree, Juniperus Cedrus. It is native to Northern Europe and Western Asia.
The soft needles of this silvery juniper are long and slender, usually blue-gray.
They grow in tufts on short shoots called spines. The cones are flat, berry-like structures, each containing one single seed.
The juniper flowers are white, fragrant, and appear in late spring.
12. Silver Bush (Convolvulus Cneorum)
A member of the Convolvulaceae family, the silver bush is a low spreading bush or subshrub, growing to about 1 meter high.
It has silvery-blue stems and lanceolate, glossy, gray-green leaves. The flowers of the silver bush are small, pinkish-purple, and occur in clusters along the stem.
Its fruit is a capsule, containing numerous small seeds.
13. Mexican Blue Palm (Brahea Armata)
This palm is native to Mexico and Central America.
The trunk of this tree can reach up to 15 meters in height and is covered in thick, leathery, overlapping scales.
The Mexican blue palm with its silver foliage is commonly grown as an ornamental tree.
The leaves are broad, heart-shaped, and look blue-silvery. Its flowers are yellow, clustered at the top of the flower stalk.
The fruit of Mexican blue palm is a drupe, which contains many small seeds.
14. Cotton Lavender (Santolina Chamaecyparissus)
Cotton lavender is a shrub or small tree, native to southern Europe and southwestern Asia.
The leaves of cotton lavender are narrow, oblong, and bright silver. The flowers are large, yellow balls that smell sweetly.
Lavender cotton is very hardy, so it survives in hot and cold climates.
15. Coyote Willow (Salix Exigua)
This is a willow species that grows in moist habitats such as riverbanks, lakesides, swamps, and marshes.
When not stressed by drought, coyote willows produce dense clumps of green leaves.
In times of stress, however, these trees lose their leaves and become bare for several weeks. The new growth appears in the mid-spring.
The flowers of coyote willow are small, white, and bell-shaped. They bloom in early summer. The fruit of coyote willow is a globular cluster of tiny, black seeds.
16. Flamingo Tree (Salix Exigua)
Flamingo trees are native to eastern Africa and Madagascar. These trees have silvery-white branches and shiny leaves.
Their flowers are small, white, star-shaped blossoms that open in early spring. The fruits of flamingo trees are small, brown berries.
Flamingo trees, also called flamingo willows, can easily be propagated by taking cuttings of the softwood in early spring.
17. White Mugwort (Artemisia Lactiflora)
Mugwort is a member of the Asteraceae family, which includes daisies, sunflowers, and chrysanthemums.
These plants are herbaceous perennials, with upright stems and opposite leaves.
The flowers of mugwort are small, yellow, and tubular. They bloom from July through September.
The plant’s leaves are hairy, oval-shaped, and dark green.
Mugwort produces abundant amounts of pollen. This makes it easy for bees to collect nectar from the flowers.
Mugwort has been used medicinally since ancient times. It was once believed to cure headaches, fever, and rheumatism.
18. Turkish Sage (Phlomis Russeliana)
Phlomis is a genus of flowering plants in the mint family. Phlomis is native to Eurasia and North Africa.
Turkish sage is a perennial growing to 1 meter tall. It has erect stems and light green leaves with a silver edge.
It is most often found in dry places like plains, steppes, and deserts.
19. Silver Sheen Tea Tree (Leptospermum Myrtifolium)
Tea tree is a common name given to various members of the Myrtaceae family. In Australia, the tea tree is known as “sheen” or “silver sheen”.
The leaves of the tea tree are glossy, dark green, and lanceolate.
Its flowers are small, pale pink, and fragrant. They appear in late winter. The fruit of the tea tree is a red berry that contains many small seeds and tastes bitter when raw.
The bark of the tea tree is often used to make soap.
Final Thoughts
If you want to grow a silver tree or shrub, you need to ensure that it can grow in your time zone. A range of trees with silver foliage can grow in different fertile soil.
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