| Plant Type | Tall Shrub |
|---|---|
| Height (m) | 3-5 |
| Width (m) | 2-4 |
| Growth Rate | Medium |
| Pollination Strategy | Animal |
| Flower Period | May, June |
| Forage Value | Poor |
| Fruit Type | Berry |
| Edible Fruit | Yes |
| Fruit/Seeds Available | Fall, Summer |
| Traits | Nitrogen Fixer, Spreads Fast, Salt Tolerant, Suckering |
| Carbon Sequestration Rate | 13.6 kg/tree |
| Natural Region | Grassland |
|---|---|
| Soil Texture | Clay, Loam, Sand |
| Drainage | Well |
| Moisture Tolerance | Average, Dry |
| Sun Exposure | Full |
Silver buffaloberry (Shepherdia argentea)
Silver buffaloberry is a tall, sun-loving shrub with long thorns and beautiful silvery leaves. It is a nitrogen fixer, and tolerant of dry sites even with poor soil quality and/or salinity. It exhibits moderate to high suckering and over time can form a dense thicket.
Silver buffaloberry’s flowers are among the first to bloom, providing excellent early season resources for pollinators. Its berries are then among the last to ripen, and are sweet and delicious (completely different in taste than Canada buffaloberry) especially after a frost. Only the female plants produce berries, but males are required for pollination (likely a minimum of one male for every seven females). The leaves of both male and female plants can also be harvested for tea.
Silver buffaloberry is native to the grasslands, and is highly recommended for Eco-Buffers planted in that eco-region. However, silver buffaloberry’s adaptability allows it to thrive well into the aspen parkland and boreal forest, and as a result it has long been considered an excellent shelterbelt species across the prairies. Its nitrogen fixation and berries also make it an excellent addition to food forests or alley cropping systems.
