Silver Buffaloberry

Scientific name

Shepherdia argentea

Description

The Silver Buffalo Berry is a deciduous shrub species that can grow up to 4 m tall. This plant may also be known by the common name Thorny Buffalo Berry. The branches are covered with silver scales and thorns. The leaves are silvery green coloured, oppositely arranged, oblong to narrowly lance shaped, have entire margins, and are about 10 cm long. The flowers are small, tubular, yellow coloured, have four lobes, and bloom in March before the leaves emerge. These flowers develop into bright red, pea-sized fruit with a single stony seed and ripen in the fall. The fruit is edible to humans but may have a bitter, soapy taste and should not be eaten in large quantities. This plant can fix atmospheric nitrogen into a useable form, which is good for enriching the soil with nutrients. This shrub is hardy and easily grown on disturbed sites. Silver Buffaloberry is also valuable for stabilizing soil and controlling erosion.

Planting conditions

Silver Buffalo Berry grows best in moist or normal well-drained conditions with full or partial sun exposure. It can grow in a variety of soil types with a range of pH levels. This shrub is drought tolerant, wind tolerant, cold hardy, and can grow in nutrient poor soil. It will tolerate poorly drained, periodically wet areas but not prolonged flooding. This plant naturally grows along river or lake shorelines, in wet meadows, or in drier habitats, like prairies and rocky canyons.

Details

• Plant height:
  • Any
  • Over 3m
• Moisture level:
  • Dry
  • Normal
  • Moist
  • Drought Tolerant
• Light conditions:
  • Full sun
  • Partial sun
• Soil type:
  • Sandy
  • Loamy
  • Clay
  • Humus
  • Rocky
• pH:
  • Acidic
  • Basic
  • Normal
• Depth:
  • Potted
• Eco Zone:
  • 0a
  • 0b
  • 1a
  • 1b
  • 2a
  • 2b
  • 3a
  • 3b
  • 4a
  • 4b
  • 5a
  • 5b
• Plant type:
  • Shrub
• Height:
  • 4 m
• Spread:
  • 3 m