Buffalo berry
Buffalo berry
The botanical name for this plant is Shepherdia argentea. It is an ornamental plant that can be considered to be a large shrub or small tree. It tolerates poor sites and is extremely hardy. The silvery foliage of this thorny shrub is a desirable ornamental trait. The scarlet fruits have silver scales on them and are used in jellies, jams, dried or eaten raw.
The plant is dioecious which means a single plant will bear only male or female flowers. Only the females bear fruit but male plants are needed for pollination. Grow one male for each 4 to 5 female plants. Male plants have dense clusters of rounded flower buds. Females have fewer buds that are smaller, flatter and more slender.
The berries are sweeter after exposure to frost.