prairie shrub
Silver buffaloberry
Shepherdia argentea
Native to the Southwest, the Rockies, and the Pacific Coast and southern Canada
Extreme western Minnesota and Manitoba to British Columbia, south to Kansas and Montana; also mountains to northern New Mexico and eastern California
- Light Full sun Sun tolerance
- Moisture Dry to moist Moisture preference
- Zones 2–8 Cold to heat range
- Bloom Apr–May Flowering time
- Height up to 20 ft to 6.1 m
- Life cycle Perennial Annual to perennial
In the garden
A prairie shrub for full sun and dry to moist soil. At up to 20 ft, it needs room in meadows and sunny borders. It shrugs off drought once established. Hardy in USDA zones 2–8.
Growing conditions
Light
Full sun Partial shade Full shade
Moisture
Dry Moist Wet
Hardiness zones
Find your zone:
Pollinators & wildlife
- Bees Orange-legged Miner Bee
also Western Honey Bee, Imitator Miner Bee, Milwaukee Mining Bee +2 more
Andrena illinoiensis, Maria Miner Bee - Beetles Seven-spotted Lady Beetle also Coccinella transversoguttata
Full plant details
Where it grows
- Habitat
- PrairieThe wild plant community it grows in.
- Native range
- The Southwest, the Rockies, and the Pacific Coast and southern CanadaUnited States (16): AZ, CA, CO, IA, ID, KS, MN, MT, ND, NE, NM, NV, OR, SD, UT, WY. Canada (3): AB, MB, SK. Where it grows wild on its own, by state and province.
- Native distribution
- Extreme western Minnesota and Manitoba to British Columbia, south to Kansas and Montana; also mountains to northern New Mexico and eastern CaliforniaThe same native range, usually more exact than the state list, and often noting where it has spread beyond it.
Growing conditions
- Light
- Full sunHow 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 2–8 · Canadian 2–7The cold-to-heat climate range it survives.
- Soil
- Rocky, sandy or clayey 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
- HighHow 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 20 ft (to 6.1 m)Typical mature height.
- Spread
- ~13 ft (4 m)How wide one plant gets, a guide to spacing.
- 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
- White, YellowThe bloom color, or colors.
- 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
- ~0.0 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.