Virginia Tech Dendrology

Wright silktassel Garryaceae Garrya wrightii Torr. symbol: GAWR3
Leaf: Opposite, simple, evergreen and leathery, ovate, to 2 inches, entire margins, yellow-green above, light green below.
Flower: Species is dioecious; produced in drooping spikes (tassels), 2 to 5 inches long, lacking petals, gray-geen to yellow, appearing during summer.
Fruit: Relatively few round berries borne in pairs on 1 1/2 to 3 inch-long tassels, individual berries 1/4 inch, reddish to purple-blue and mostly lacking pubescence, somewhat persistent.
Twig: Moderate to stout, new growth is green and somewhat pubescent, becoming reddish brown-green.
Bark: Gray-brown and rough, becoming scaly.
Form: A shrub to 15 feet, but usually much smaller.
Looks like: wavyleaf silktassel - ashy silktassel - bearbrush

Additional Range Information: Garrya wrightii is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. Download the full-size PDF map.
External Links: USDAFS FEIS Silvics - USDA Plants Database
All material 2025 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information