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Silverthorn (Elaeagnus pungens) is a dense, branching shrub that can grow over 7 metres tall and 4 metres wide. Its evergreen leaves have silvery white undersides with brown flecks. Parts of the stem carry thorns up to 8 centimetres long. The leaves are leathery, shiny green above and silvery white below with tiny brown scales, and young branchlets are covered with brown scales. The thorny stems can hook onto other plants and structures, and the shrub can climb into overhead trees if its branches are not maintained.

The flowers, about half an inch in size, are bell-shaped, silvery-white and fragrant, and they bloom in axillary clusters in fall. Blooming occurs in the autumn and the fruit develops during the spring. The fruit is a drupe up to 1.5 centimetres long that contains one seed. Many birds feed on the fruits of the shrub.

In the genus Elaeagnus, the flowers are small, with no petals, and are often fragrant. The genus name Elaeagnus comes from the Greek words elaia meaning "olive tree" and agnos meaning "chaste" or "pure". Many Elaeagnus species harbor nitrogen-fixing organisms in their roots, so they grow well in low-nitrogen soils.

The species is native to Asia, including China and Japan. In China it occurs on hillsides and in thickets. It is present in the southeastern United States as an introduced species. It can form dense thickets that displace native species, and it is sometimes an invasive species. It is widely cultivated as a garden plant in temperate regions and tolerates varied environmental conditions, including heat, cold, wind, coastal conditions, shade, and full sun. It is also a parent of the hybrid Elaeagnus × submacrophylla, which is grown in gardens as an ornamental plant.

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