Silverleaf

Silverleaf is a common name applied to multiple plants with silvery or reflective foliage, as well as to a plant disease affecting woody species. In everyday usage it often refers to plants that have a dense covering of light-colored hairs or a waxy, silver-gray appearance, and in pathology it denotes a fungal condition that can cause canopy decline.

One prominent reference is silverleaf nightshade (Solanum elaeagnifolium), a perennial weed in the nightshade family. It has silvery, stellate-looking leaves, purple flowers, and orange berries. The plant is drought-tolerant and capable of thriving in poor soils, allowing it to invade pastures, croplands, and disturbed ground in many regions of the Americas and beyond. It is toxic to livestock and can reduce forage quality and yield. Control is typically challenging and involves a combination of mechanical removal, cultivation, mulching, grazing management, and herbicide programs, often integrated with monitoring to prevent reestablishment. Seed and root fragments can persist in soil, aiding spread, so careful sanitation of equipment is advised.

In plant pathology, silver leaf disease refers to infection of woody plants by the fungus Chondrostereum purpureum. The disease primarily affects Prunus species, including cherry and plum trees, and can also involve other ornamentals. The hallmark symptoms include a silvery or pale appearance on leaves or branch surfaces, followed by branch dieback and canker formation, which may lead to tree decline or death. Transmission occurs via airborne spores and through pruning wounds. Management focuses on removing and destroying infected wood, pruning out infected branches well below visible symptoms, sterilizing tools between cuts, delaying pruning until conditions are favorable, and using certified disease-free stock when propagating or planting.