Plant of the Month
Buffalo-berry by Dave Dister
Years ago I was visiting Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in northwest Lower Michigan. I was particularly stunned to find a shrub that looked a lot like the invasive autumn-olive (Elaeagnus umbellata). However, something about the plant suggested that it belonged in the sandy dune habitat. With the help of a botanical reference, I determined (to my relief) that it was instead a very close relative, buffalo-berry (Shepherdia canadensis), also known as soapberry. Buffalo-berry is a native shrub in the Oleaster family (Elaeagnaceae), while autumn-olive is a highly invasive non-native member of this family (native to east Asia).
So how does one distinguish between the two? Buffalo-berry has opposite leaves that are densely wooly beneath, whereas autumn-olive has alternative leaves that have silvery scales beneath. Buffalo-berry is native from Newfoundland to Alaska, and south to the Great Lakes and Arizona. In Michigan, buffalo-berry is largely restricted to coastal counties in the Lower Peninsula, but occurs throughout the Upper Peninsula.
Unfortunately, buffalo-berry is difficult to find in the nursery trade, but is well worth the effort to track down. This is one lovely shrub that is well-shaped, and can grow to 10 feet or so. On the other hand, autumn-olive is thorny, has a sprawling, untidy appearance, and can grow to 25 feet tall. Of course, buffalo-berry hosts many native insects that are a valuable food source for our native avifauna, whereas autumn-olive is avoided by insects and takes from the environment much more than it gives. In summation, we need to promote native plants such as the little-known buffalo-berry. Go native!
Plant of the Month Archives
December 2008 - Witch Hazel
January 2009 - Winterberry
March 2009 - Desert Ironwood
April 2009 - Marsh Marigold
May 2009 - Serviceberry
June 2009 - Choke Cherry
July 2009 - Northern Bush Honeysuckle
August 2009 - Butterfly-weed
September 2009 - Firecracker bush
October 2009 - Black Swallow-wort
November 2009 - Cranberries
December 2009 - Dogwood
January 2010 - Pinyon Pine
February 2010 - California Sage
March 2010 - Desert Mistletoe
April 2010 - Eastern Red Cedar
May 2010 - Buffalo-berry