woodland shrub

Canadian buffalo-berry

Shepherdia canadensis

Native to the Rockies, the Midwest, and the Pacific Coast and Canada

Newfoundland to Alaska, south to Maine, Pennsylvania, Great Lakes, southern Manitoba, Colorado Rockies, Idaho and Oregon; occurs locally in northern Great Plains

Light Full sun to shade Sun tolerance
Moisture Dry to moist Moisture preference
Zones 1–8 Cold to heat range
Bloom Apr–May Flowering time
Height up to 10 ft to 3.0 m
Life cycle Perennial Annual to perennial

Full details, see below

In the garden

A woodland shrub for sun through shade and dry to moist soil. Its yellow flowers peak in May. At up to 10 ft, it needs room in shade gardens and woodland edges. It shrugs off drought once established. Hardy in USDA zones 1–8.

Growing conditions

Light

Full sun Partial shade Full shade

Moisture

Dry Moist Wet

Hardiness zones

Find your zone:

When it blooms

The Canadian buffalo-berry's yellow flowers bloom April to May, peaking in May. This early-spring ephemeral draws bees and beetles.

Canadian buffalo-berry blooms yellowFoliage

Pollinators & wildlife

Bees Two-spotted Bumble Bee

also Western Honey Bee, Orange-legged Furrow Bee, Yellow-banded Bumble Bee +1 more
Sigmund's Mining Bee
Beetles Seven-spotted Lady Beetle also Two-spotted Lady Beetle
Wasps Western Yellowjacket
Also visited by
- Butterflies: Milbert's Tortoiseshell

Butterflies that use this plant

Documented host and nectar records. Each links to a planting guide for that butterfly.

Milbert's tortoiseshellnectar

Full plant details

Where it grows

Habitat: WoodlandThe wild plant community it grows in.
Native range: The Rockies, the Midwest, and the Pacific Coast and CanadaUnited States (19): AK, CO, ID, IL, IN, ME, MI, MN, MT, ND, NY, OH, OR, PA, SD, VT, WA, WI, WY. Canada (10): AB, BC, MB, NB, NL, NS, ON, QC, SK, YT. Where it grows wild on its own, by state and province.
Native distribution: Newfoundland to Alaska, south to Maine, Pennsylvania, Great Lakes, southern Manitoba, Colorado Rockies, Idaho and Oregon; occurs locally in northern Great PlainsThe same native range, usually more exact than the state list, and often noting where it has spread beyond it.

Growing conditions

Light: Full sun to shadeHow much sun it takes, from full sun to full shade.
Moisture: Dry to moistThe soil dampness it prefers, from dry to wet.
Hardiness zones: USDA 1–8 · Canadian 0–7The cold-to-heat climate range it survives.
Soil: Adaptable, but prefers moist, rocky soilsThe soils it grows in naturally.
Soil texture: Light to heavy (sandy to clay)The soil grade it prefers, from sand to clay.
Soil pH: 5.3–8.0The acidity to alkalinity it tolerates (7 is neutral).
Soil quality: LowHow rich a soil it needs. Many natives prefer lean soil and flop in rich beds.
Water use: MediumHow thirsty it is, a rough guide to how often to water.
Drought tolerance: HighRelative to plants of the same type and region, inferred from where it grows, not a days-without-water figure.
Salinity tolerance: MediumHow well it copes with salty soil, near roads or the coast.
Lime (CaCO₃) tolerance: HighHow well it copes with chalky, lime-rich soil.

Growth & form

Height: up to 10 ft (to 3.0 m)Typical mature height.
Life cycle: PerennialWhether it lives a single season (annual), two (biennial), or returns for years (perennial).
Growth rate: RapidA relative ranking versus other plants of the same type (USDA), not an absolute rate.
Shape: Semi-ErectIts overall silhouette.
Root depth: 24+ in (61+ cm)How far the roots reach, a guide to drought resilience and transplanting.

Flowers, foliage & fruit

Type: ShrubWhat kind of plant it is.
Bloom: Apr–MayWhen it flowers.
Flower color: YellowThe bloom color, or colors.
Fruit/Seeds: ripens Jun–AugThe seed or fruit it sets after flowering.
Toxicity: None knownWhether any part is poisonous to people or pets.

Propagation & seed

Cold stratification: Required (cold, moist)Whether seed needs a cold, moist spell before it will germinate.
Propagation: Bare root, container, seedHow to start new plants.
Seed: ~0.1 million seeds per poundNotes on the seed and how to sow it.
Seed spread rate: SlowHow readily it self-sows. Slow or none means well-behaved, not a spreader.
Seedling vigor: MediumHow strongly young seedlings establish.
Vegetative spread: RapidWhether it creeps outward or stays put in a clump.