Silver Buffaloberry Shepherdia argentea
- Phonetic Spelling
- shep-HER-dee-uh ar-JEN-tee-uh
- Description
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Silver Buffaloberry is a thorny deciduous shrub in the Oleaster family. It will form thickets along moist areas such as river banks and lakes. Male and female flowers are produced on separate plants and both are required for fruit formation. Although the common name suggests that it is a berry-producing plant, the fruits are stone fruit. Stone fruits have flesh or pulp surrounding a stone, similar to a peach or plum. The plant usually grows up to 12 feet tall and wide but can grow taller and more tree-like.
The stems and leaves are silvery in color and the bark is exfoliating with long spines up to 2 inches long. The small yellow flowers appear in spring and the red fruit is about 1/4 to 1/3 inch in size on pollinated female plants in fall. The fruits are enjoyed by birds and are also fit for human consumption. They can be eaten raw but are sour or used to make jams, jellies and pies.
This plant will grow in a variety of conditions. In the midwest, it is usually along waterways or wet meadows but further west it is found growing in drier conditions and gravelly soils. It prefers full sun but tolerates light shade and is easy to grow in average garden soil. Because it fixes nitrogen, it can tolerate poor soils. Use this plant in a mixed shrub border or as a hedge.
Insects, Diseases and Other Plant Problems: Deer may eat and damage the branches and leaves. Although there are no serious insect or disease issues, powdery mildew, rust and leaf spot are minor problems.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Cultivars / Varieties:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Shepherdia
- Species:
- argentea
- Family:
- Elaeagnaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Western and midwest US and Canada
- Distribution:
- AZ , CA , CO , IA , ID , KS , MI , MN , MT , ND , NE , NM , NV , NY , OR , SD , UT , WI , WY Canada: AB , MB , SK
- Wildlife Value:
- Birds eat the fruits.
- Play Value:
- Attracts Pollinators
- Screening
- Wildlife Food Source
- Edibility:
- The fruits are edible, however, they may be sour when eaten raw. Used best for jams, jellies and pies
- Dimensions:
- Height: 8 ft. 0 in. - 12 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 8 ft. 0 in. - 12 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Shrub
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Ascending
- Erect
- Spreading
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Texture:
- Coarse
- Appendage:
- Spines
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Shallow Rocky
- Soil pH:
- Alkaline (>8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Occasionally Dry
- Occasionally Wet
- Available Space To Plant:
- 6-feet-12 feet
- 12-24 feet
- NC Region:
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Red/Burgundy
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Edible
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Fruit Type:
- Drupe
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- 1/4-1/3 inch bright-red fruits with a single seed inside form on the female plant in fall.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Flower Shape:
- Tubular
- Flower Description:
- Yellowish small tubular female flowers with petal-like sepals in spring before the leaves. Male flowers are in axillary spikes
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Gray/Silver
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Opposite
- Leaf Shape:
- Elliptical
- Oblong
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Width:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Description:
- The 1-2" leaves have silver scales on both sides and are densely packed on the stems. The tip is rounded and the base is acute or wedge-shaped.
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Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Dark Brown
- Dark Gray
- Surface/Attachment:
- Exfoliating
- Bark Description:
- Exfoliating thin bark is grayish brown, rough and peeling on the lower trunk.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Gray/Silver
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Description:
- Twigs have silvery scales that shed the second season with thorns at the tips
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Naturalized Area
- Landscape Theme:
- Edible Garden
- Design Feature:
- Barrier
- Border
- Hedge
- Attracts:
- Bees
- Small Mammals
- Songbirds
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Drought
- Poor Soil