The beautiful shrub commonly known as silk tassel bush, Garrya elliptica, is found in the coast range from southern Oregon to the middle of California. In the wild it grows in well-drained soil in full sun as a multi-trunked shrub about 12' tall. In garden environments it can sometimes be found pruned into a small single-trunked tree or even espaliered. Garrya elliptica is drought tolerant once established, but looks better when given some supplemental water.

This shrub gets its common name from the long catkins that hang on the branches in mid-winter. Both male and female plants have catkins, but the male plant's tassels are as much as 8 inches long, and creamy white, where the female catkins tend to be greenish and less than half that length. Silk tassel bush sports glossy green leaves with grey felted undersides. The female plant produces small purple fruit that is attractive to birds.

Several specimens of Garrya elliptica are planted at the southern edge of the Buck Lake Native Plant Garden, near the Greenway information kiosk.