Botanical Name: Shepherdia
Family: Elaeagnaceae
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Rosales
Genus: Shepherdia
Common Names: Buffaloberry, Bullberry
Habitat:
Buffaloberry is native to northern and western North America. They are non-legume nitrogen fixers.
Description:
There are three species:
1.Shepherdia argentea:This berry is called Silver buffaloberry: Grows in Central and western North America, from the Prairie Provinces of Canada (Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba) southwards in the United States as far as Ventura County in California, as well as northern Arizona, and northwestern New Mexico.
The plant grows to a Height: 8.00 to 12.00 feet
Spread: 8.00 to 12.00 feet
Bloom Time: March
Bloom Description: Yellow
2.Shepherdia canadensis -Canada buffaloberry: Grows in Canada, except in Prince Edward Island, and in the western and northern United States, including Alaska and Idaho
This is a deciduous shrub, sprawling to erect, to 6(13) ft [1.8(3.9] m] tall, young branches rusty and scruffy. Leaves opposite, simple, ovate to oblong-ovate, 3-7 cm long, 1-3 cm wide, green to silvery above, white with rusty dots below, petiole to 6 mm. Usually dioecious (male and female plants), flowers are yellowish-brown, inconspicuous, 1-2 mm long, in small clusters before leaves appear. Fruit elliptic, 6-8 mm long, reddish, but sometimes yellow, translucent, very bitter, soapy to the touch.
3.Shepherdia rotundifolia : Roundleaf buffaloberry.Grows in Southern Utah and northern Arizona. It grows in mixed desert shrub, pinyon juniper woodland, and ponderosa pine forest communities as high as 7,800 feet (2,400 m) elevations.
It is a is an evergreen shrub in the oleaster family (Elaeagnaceae) growws to a height of 3-to-6-foot (1-to-2-meter) The common name comes from western settlers using the cooked berries in a sauce for eating cooked buffalo meat.
Leaves and stems:
“Rotundifolia” is for the oval or egg-shaped leaves, which can vary to being lance shaped. They are 1?4 to 1 1?2 inches (6 to 38 mm) long, silvery green on top (hence the other common name), and hairy and pale on the bottom.
Inflorescence and fruit:
Flowers open from May to June and are yellowish.:97 They are produced singly or in a cluster from leaf axils.
Fruits are elliptical, with star-shaped hairs.
Fruit
The berry is recognizable by being a dark shade of red, with little white dots on them. They are rough to the touch, and are found on both trees and shrubs.
Wildlife
The plants have rather bitter-tasting berries. The fruit are often eaten by bears, which by legend, prefer the berries to maintain fat stores during hibernation.
Buffaloberries are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species, including Ectropis crepuscularia (recorded from S. canadensis) and Coleophora elaeagnisella.
Culinary:
Buffaloberries are sour and can be made into jam, pie, jelly, syrup, soups, or prepared like cranberry sauce with sugar added.
Disclaimer : The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplement, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.
Resources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shepherdia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shepherdia_rotundifolia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shepherdia_argentea
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shepherdia_canadensis
