Silver Buffalo Berry vs Northern Black Currant - TreeTime.ca

Silver Buffalo Berry vs Northern Black Currant

Ribes hudsonianum

Shepherdia argentea

CUSTOM GROW

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2025)

Northern Black Currant
Silver Buffalo Berry

Northern Black Currant is a native deciduous shrub found across Canada and the northern United States. Dark purple to black berries that ripen in summer and provide food for wildlife and humans. Fragrant yellow-green flowers that attract a wide variety of pollinators.
This shrub is well adapted to moist soils and can even survive periods of flooding. It has an interesting bronze colour in fall.

Silver Buffalo Berry is a cold hardy, ornamental shrub that is commonly used in the first row of shelterbelts instead of caragana or lilac. It features subtle yellow flowers, smooth grey bark, and red fruit. On occasion orange fruit is produced and rarely a yellow fruit. Please note: we regularly collect the rare yellow and orange fruit to use for our seed source.

Long-lived and slow growing, Silver Buffalo Berry is commonly found around sloughs, in coulees, and on light soils across the prairies, and grows best in full sun.

Buyers can enjoy increased bird life to their property, as this shrub acts as a habitat plant. It is also commonly planted for its ornamental and winter interest. It is native to parts of central and western North America.

This species is also known as one of the more salt-tolerant species for those with saline soils.

Note: this berry has mixed reviews when fresh, but makes a desirable jam or jelly with what is described as a clove and pear taste.

Northern Black Currant Quick Facts

Silver Buffalo Berry Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 2a
Height: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Height: 5 m (18 ft)
Spread: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Spread: 3 m (10 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: full sun
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: dry, normal
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: medium
Life span: medium
Life span: medium
Growth form: upright to prostrate, thicket-forming
Spreading: seeds - low, layering - low
Suckering: high
Maintenance: medium


Foliage: green, slender, silvery
Flowers: small white, in clusters
Flowers: white
Bloom time: spring to early summer
Berries: black, edible
Berries: deep red, edible
Flavor: bitter
Harvest: mid to late summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


In row spacing: 0.9 - 1.2 m (3 - 4 ft)
Between row spacing: 5 m (16 ft)
Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, YT, NT
Native to: AB, SK, MB
Other Names: hudson bay currant, stinking currant, western black currant, wild black currant
Other Names: buffalo shepherdia, silver buffaloberry, thorny buffaloberry