Buffaloberry Silver #5
$55.00
Sale price
$55.00
Regular price
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Buffaloberry Silver #5
$55.00
Sale price
$55.00
Regular price
Silver buffaloberry (Shepherdia argentea) is a hardy, deciduous, thorny shrub native to central and western North America, known for its distinctive shimmery silver foliage and edible tart red fruit.
- Appearance: An upright, bushy shrub growing 6 to 18 feet tall, featuring thorny branchlets, peeling bark, and narrow leaves covered in fine silvery scales.
- Flowers: Tiny, yellowish flowers bloom very early in spring before the leaves emerge.
- Fruit: Produces small, oval stone fruits (technically drupes) in the fall that are bright red or occasionally yellow. They have a sour taste that sweetens significantly after a frost.
- Dioecious Nature: Plants are separate-sexed (male and female), meaning you must plant both sexes for the female plants to produce fruit.
Growing Conditions
- Hardiness: Extremely cold-hardy (USDA Zones 2–9) and heat-tolerant.
- Sun & Soil: Thrives in full sun to partial shade and adapts exceptionally well to poor, dry, rocky, sandy, or alkaline soils.
- Ecology: It is a nitrogen-fixing plant that helps with soil improvement and erosion control, while its thickets provide vital nesting and shelter for wildlife and songbirds.
Uses
- Culinary: The tart fruits are eaten fresh or processed into jams, jellies, pies, and sauces. Historically, Native Americans used them to flavor buffalo meat. Raw consumption should be in moderation due to saponin content, which breaks down during cooking.
- Landscaping: Excellent for use as a defensive living fence, wildlife privacy hedge, or windbreak due to its dense, thicket-forming habit.