Elaeagnus pungens (Silverthorn)

Native to eastern Asia, this evergreen shrub develops long arching shoots that can scramble through surrounding vegetation. Young stems are covered in brown scales and may bear thorns. Its leathery leaves are green above and silvery beneath, with brown scales along the veins and stalks. Small, fragrant silvery-white flowers appear in the leaf axils during autumn. Oval fruits ripen to reddish brown the following spring and contain a single seed. Birds eat the fruits and disperse the seeds, helping the shrub spread beyond cultivation. It is invasive in parts of the southeastern United States, where dense thickets can displace native plants. Photographed in Ecuador.