singingwings.rohair.com

Silver Buffaloberry (Shepherdia argentea)

Size: 8-10' tall 6-8' spread

Flowering: Early May

Fruiting: Late Summer

Birds: large variety - woodpeckers, catbird, thrasher, thrushes, sparrows, starlings, orioles

Buffaloberry is a great native plant substitute for the invasive exotic, 'Autumn Olive'. Buffaloberry has silvery foliage and produces lots of orange-red fruits that are edible by people and sought after by birds. The fruits make an excellent jelly. Buffaloberry is a thorny shrub with upright, mounded growth. The thorns provide excellent protection for nesting birds. It's also a good xeriscape plant, tolerating extreme drought, cold and alkaline conditions; growing to 8-12' tall/wide, and tolerating Zone 2 conditions.