SILVER BUFFALOBERRY Shepherdia argentea
Shepherdia argentea, commonly called silver buffaloberry, bull berry, or thorny buffaloberry, is native to the western and central parts of Canada and North America. It grows in many different kinds of habitats such as riparian areas, woodlands, exposed slopes on prairies, and in dry, sandy soils of plains and canyons.
Shepherdia argentea is a deciduous shrub growing from 2–6 metres (6.6–19.7 ft) tall. The leaves are green with a covering of fine silvery, silky hairs, giving it a silver-gray appearance.
The flowers are pale yellow, with four sepals but no petals.
The fruit is a bright red fleshy drupe 5 mm in diameter; it is edible with a slightly bitter taste. In the Great Basin, the berries were eaten raw and dried for winter use, but more often cooked into a flavoring sauce for bison meat. The buffaloberry has been a staple food to some Native Americans, who ate the berries in puddings, jellies, and in raw or dried form.
Type: Hardy shrub
Hardiness zones: 2-9
Location: Sun or part shade
Seeds per pack: 3
Germination: Surface sow in a sterile seed-start mix. Water, and place in plastic, and in the fridge for 90 days for stratification. Then bring to warmth for them to germinate. Keep continually moist.
