Silverwood is located in a chaparral biological community.
Three naturalists who researched at Silverwood,Frank F. Gander (1899-1976), Dr. Gerald Cosgrove and Dr. Andrew Olson, have had species of flora and fauna named for them, including Cylindropuntia ganderi, Lepechinia ganderi, Cryptantha ganderi, Caligus olsoni, Leuresthicola olsoni, Thaumameris cosgrovei.