Garrya elliptica

coast silktassel

Garryaceae

Overview

Garrya elliptica is a magnificent native evergreen shrub that brings dramatic winter interest and sophisticated year-round structure to Pacific Northwest landscapes with its distinctive pendulous catkins and architectural presence. This aristocratic plant features leathery, undulating foliage that remains attractive throughout all seasons while producing extraordinarily long, silvery-gray tassels during winter months when little else offers significant ornamental appeal in regional gardens. Unlike many natives that struggle in garden settings, G. elliptica demonstrates remarkable adaptability to varied garden conditions while maintaining the rugged constitution that allows it to thrive in challenging coastal exposures throughout its native range from southwest Oregon to central California. Its capacity to withstand salt spray, wind exposure, and summer drought makes it particularly valuable for coastal landscapes throughout western Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia where reliable, low-maintenance structural elements are essential components of sustainable landscape design. The subtle gray-green color palette and distinctive textural qualities create sophisticated counterpoints to more common landscape plants, making it an ideal choice for designers seeking regionally appropriate materials with year-round appeal and minimal resource requirements once established.

How to Identify

Garrya elliptica can be identified by its distinctive elliptical to oval leaves with wavy margins and a somewhat leathery texture, each leaf measuring approximately 2-3 inches long with a dark green upper surface and lighter, sometimes slightly fuzzy underside. The most striking identifying feature appears in winter when long, pendulous catkins develop, particularly on male plants, with each silvery-gray tassel measuring 4-8 inches in length and hanging dramatically from branch tips. The overall growth habit is upright and somewhat open, typically forming a multi-stemmed shrub reaching 8-12 feet tall and 6-10 feet wide at maturity in Pacific Northwest landscapes. The foliage arrangement is opposite, and young stems have a distinctive square cross-section with subtle ridges at the corners. The bark on older stems develops a smooth, gray-brown coloration that provides subtle winter interest when visible through the evergreen foliage. Female plants produce smaller catkins followed by round, purple-black berries, though male plants are more commonly cultivated for their showier tassels.