| Shepherdia argentea | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Division: | Magnoliophyta |
| Class: | Magnoliopsida |
| Order: | Rosales |
| Family: | Elaeagnaceae |
| Genus: | Shepherdia |
| Species: | S. argentea |
| Binomial name | |
| Shepherdia argentea (Pursh) Nutt. |
|
Shepherdia argentea (Silver Buffaloberry or Bull berry, thorny buffaloberry) is a species of Shepherdia, native to central North America from southern Canada (Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba) south in the United States to northern California and New Mexico.[1]
It is a deciduous shrub growing to 2–6 m tall. The leaves are arranged in opposite pairs (rarely alternately arranged), 2–6 cm long, oval with a rounded apex, green with a covering of fine silvery, silky hairs, more thickly silvery below than above. The flowers are pale yellow, with four sepals and no petals. The fruit is a bright red fleshy drupe 5 mm in diameter; it is edible but with a rather bitter taste.[2]
The berry is one of the mainstays of the diet of the Sharp-tailed Grouse, the provincial bird of Saskatchewan.