Plantae > Tracheophyta > Magnoliopsida > Rosales > Elaeagnaceae > Shepherdia > Shepherdia canadensis

Shepherdia canadensis (russet buffalo-berry; russet buffaloberry)

Synonyms:

Wikipedia Abstract

The Canada buffaloberry (Shepherdia canadensis), also known as russet buffaloberry, soopolallie, soapberry, or foamberry (Ktunaxa: kupaʔtiǂ), is one of a small number of shrubs of the genus Shepherdia bearing edible red berries. It is widespread across most of Canada (every province except Prince Edward Island plus all 3 territories) and the western and northern United States (including Alaska). One recognized form however bears yellow fruits. The berries have an extremely bitter taste.
View Wikipedia Record: Shepherdia canadensis

Attributes

Bloom Period [1]  Late Spring
Drought Tolerance [1]  High
Edible [2]  May be edible. See the Plants For A Future link below for details.
Fire Tolerance [1]  Medium
Flower Type [2]  Dioecious
Frost Free Days [1]  3 months 5 days
Fruit/Seed Abundance [1]  Medium
Fruit/Seed Begin [1]  Summer
Fruit/Seed End [1]  Fall
Growth Form [1]  Multiple Stem
Growth Period [1]  Spring, Summer
Growth Rate [1]  Rapid
Hazards [2]  The fruit contains low concentrations of saponins; Although toxic, these substances are very poorly absorbed by the body and so tend to pass through without causing harm. They are also broken down by thorough cooking. Saponins are found in many plants, including several that are often used for food, such as certain beans. It is advisable not to eat large quantities of food that contain saponins. Saponins are much more toxic to some 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;
Leaf Type [2]  Deciduous
Lifespan [1]  Perennial
Propagation [1]  Bare Root, Container, Seed
Root Depth [1]  24 inches (61 cm)
Seed Spread Rate [1]  Slow
Seed Vigor [1]  Medium
Seeds Per [1]  57563 / lb (126905 / kg)
Shape/Orientation [1]  Semi-Erect
Structure [2]  Shrub
Usage [2]  Because of its saponin content, the fruit is a potential soap substitute. It is macerated in water to extract the saponins; A decoction of the branches has been used as a hair tonic for dyeing and curling the hair; The branches were harvested in mid summer, broken up and boiled for 2 - 3 hours in water, until the liquid looked like brown coffee. The liquid was decanted off and bottled without further treatment - it would store for a long time without deterioration. To use, the decoction was rubbed into the hair which was simultaneously curled and dyed a brownish colour; The berries, the froth made from them, or a jelly of the fruit, have been eaten as an insect repellent; It was said that mosquitoes were far less likely to bite a person who had eaten the fruit;
Vegetative Spread Rate [1]  Rapid
Flower Color [1]  Yellow
Foliage Color [1]  White-Gray
Fruit Color [1]  Yellow
Fall Conspicuous [1]  Yes
Flower Conspicuous [1]  Yes
Fruit Conspicuous [1]  Yes
Height [2]  8.2 feet (2.5 m)
Hardiness Zone Minimum [1]  USDA Zone: 0 Low Temperature: -65 F° (-53.9 C°) → -60 F° (-51.1 C°)
Light Preference [1]  Mixed Sun/Shade
Soil Acidity [1]  Neutral
Soil Fertility [1]  Infertile
Water Use [1]  Moderate
Screening - Summer [1]  Dense
Screening - Winter [1]  Moderate
View Plants For A Future Record : Shepherdia canadensis

Protected Areas

Ecosystems

Predators

External References

USDA Plant Profile

NatureServe Explorer

Citations

Attributes / relations provided by
♦ 1USDA Plants Database, U. S. Department of Agriculture
♦ 2Plants For A Future licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
♦ 3Making The Forest And Tundra Wildlife Connection
♦ 4National Geographic Magazine - May 2016 - Yellowstone - The Carnivore Comeback
♦ 5HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants Gaden S. Robinson, Phillip R. Ackery, Ian J. Kitching, George W. Beccaloni AND Luis M. Hernández
♦ 6Exploring the Denali Food Web, ParkWise, National Park Service
♦ 7Phenacomys intermedius, James A. McAllister and Robert S. Hoffman, MAMMALIAN SPECIES No. 305, pp. 1-8 (1988)
♦ 8Phenacomys ungava (Rodentia: Cricetidae), JANET K. BRAUN, SARA B. GONZALEZ-PEREZ, GARRETT M. STREET, JENNIE M. MOOK, AND NICHOLAS J. CZAPLEWSKI, MAMMALIAN SPECIES 45(899):18–29 (2013)
Abstract provided by DBpedia licensed under a Creative Commons License
Species taxanomy provided by GBIF Secretariat (2022). GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/39omei accessed via GBIF.org on 2023-06-13; License: CC BY 4.0