Common Name: Buffalo Berry

General Information

Shepherdia argentea is a deciduous shrub or small tree, much-branched, often with spine-tipped branchlets; it usually grows 90 - 350cm tall, though it can reach 600cm. The plant spreads at the roots and can produce thickets of growth[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and a medicine. It is occasionally grown as a fruit crop in northern America and is also grown as an ornamental, where it can be used as a hedge.

Known Hazards

The fruit contains low concentrations of saponins[].
Although poisonous, saponins also have a range of medicinal applications and many saponin-rich plants are used in herbalism (particularly as emetics, expectorants and febrifuges) or as sources of raw materials for the pharmaceutical industry. Saponins are also found in a number of common foods, such as many beans.
Saponins have a quite bitter flavour and are in general poorly absorbed by the human body, so most pass through without harm. They can be removed by carefully leaching in running water. Thorough cooking, and perhaps changing the cooking water once, will also normally remove most of them. However, it is not advisable to eat large quantities of raw foods that contain saponins.
Saponins are much more toxic to many cold-blooded creatures, such as fish, and hunting tribes have traditionally put large quantities of them in streams, lakes etc in order to stupefy or kill the fish and make them easy to catch[].

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Central N. America - Alberta to Manitoba, south through Oregon and Ninnesota to California, Arizona and New Mexico

Habitat

Banks of streams[] and open wooded areas, often on limestone[] and on sandy soils[]. Found in riparian areas such as wet meadows, floodplains, terraces, and along streams, rivers, lakes, springs, and ponds[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Shrub
Height	2.50 m
Growth Rate	Medium
Pollinators	Bees, Insects
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Shepherdia argentea is a very cold-tolerant plant and can succeed in areas with as little as 325mm of rain a year[, ].
Prefers a sunny position. Succeeds in an ordinary well-drained moisture retentive soil[, , ]. Grows best in a moist to semi-wet soil with good drainage, but will grow in semi-shaded areas and on dry, exposed hillsides. It grows best on loam and sandy loam soils, but occurs on clay, clay loam, and gravelly substrates as well[]. Tolerates poor dry soils[] and maritime exposure[]. Established plants are drought resistant[, ]. The plant is tolerant of poorly drained soils and some flooding, but is intolerant of prolonged flooding and permanently high water tables[].
Plants rarely produce fruit in Britain[].
Occasionally cultivated for its edible fruit, there are some named varieties[]. 'Xanthocarpa' has yellow fruits[].
The fruit is difficult to harvest because the shrub is very thorny[].
Flowers are produced in small clusters during early spring from the joints of the previous year’s growth[].
The plant is moderately tolerant of fire, usually resprouting from the roots. However, it is often killed in 'hot' fires[].
Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[].
A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required.

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked[, , , , , ]. It can also be dried and used like currants[, ]. A tart but pleasant flavour even before a frost[, ], it becomes sweeter after frosts[, , ]. The fruit is also used for making preserves, pies etc[]. The fruit should be used in moderation due to the saponin content[]. The fruit is produced singly or in clusters, it is up to 9mm long and contains a single seed[].

Medicinal

The berries are febrifuge, laxative and stomachic[]. They have been eaten in the treatment of stomach complaints, constipation and fevers[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant is amenable to trimming and, when planted in a row, forms a low, dense barrier - it can be grown as a hedge[, , ] and windbreak[]. The spine-tipped branchlets can help to keep out livestock and other large animals[].
Because it has a wide-ranging root system, forms thickets and is wind tolerant, it is sometimes planted for erosion control[]. Once established, the plant is an excellent bank stabilizer[].
The plant adapts well to disturbed or degraded sites. It is used for multiple-row windbreaks, shelterbelts, erosion control, wildlife habitat enhancement, and land reclamation. Nursery-grown stock readily establishes on disturbed sites and once established, the plant is a good soil stabilizer, often used for erosion control[].
The plant is an actinorhizal pioneer species that is often planted for land reclamation, such as rehabilitating mine spoils[].

Other Uses

A red dye is obtained from the fruit[, , ].

Propagation

Seed - it must not be allowed to dry out[]. It is best harvested in the autumn and sown immediately in a cold frame. Stored seed requires 2 - 3 months cold stratification[]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots once they are large enough to handle. If sufficient growth is made it will be possible to plant them out in the summer, otherwise grow them on in a cold frame for their first winter and plant them out in the following spring or early summer.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, mid summer in a frame sometimes work[].