Clients looking to add diversity to their suite of shrub plantings may look to Silver Buffaloberry for the answer. Often growing in a similar environment, Silver Buffaloberry (Shepherdia argentea) shares a shorter stature but similar appearance to Russian Olive until mid August when an abundance of red berries adorn the dioecious female plants.
Thorny thickets serve as nesting habitat, cover, and forage for songbirds and small mammals as well as browse and bedding areas for ungulates. Drought hardy and winter hardy, it is adapted to elevations below 7500′ and precipitation ranges between 13″ and 23″. One of the most attractive traits? It’s a rockstar as a spring pollinator plant. While other species are still slumbering, Silver Buffaloberry is adorned with blossoms and abuzz with bees.
