Canadian Buffaloberry vs Canada Plum - TreeTime.ca

Canadian Buffaloberry vs Canada Plum

Shepherdia canadensis

Prunus nigra

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2026)

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Canadian Buffaloberry
Canada Plum

Canadian Buffalo Berry is a native deciduous shrub found throughout North America. This hardy, medium-sized shrub will tolerate poor soil conditions and produces attractive, edible–though very bitter–red fruit.

Canada Plum is a cold-hardy wild plum native to North America with small red fruit. They ripen in mid to late summer, with bitter, astringent skin surrounding sweet, slightly acidic flesh that clings to the stone. While some enjoy eating the plums fresh, they are more commonly used for baking and preserves. It is considered a universal pollinizer for other plum varieties and is often used for grafting or as a rootstock.

White to pink flowers appear in spring, often before the leaves, providing an early source of nectar and pollen for native bees and other pollinators. Birds and other wildlife also feed on the fruit, adding to its ecological value. Canada Plum can grow as a small tree or large, multi-stemmed shrub. It is well suited to a variety of projects, including fruit orchards for cross-pollination, as well as pollinator plantings, naturalization, and restoration projects.

Canadian Buffaloberry Quick Facts

Canada Plum Quick Facts

Zone: 1a
Zone: 2b
Height: 3 m (10 ft)
Height: 5 m (15 ft)
Spread: 1.8 m (6 ft)
Spread: 4 m (12 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: fast
Life span: short
Life span: medium
Suckering: none
Suckering: high


Foliage: dark green with silver undersides
Fall colour: attractive yellow, gold
Bark: grey and scaly with age
Flowers: tiny, red
Flowers: white
Fruit: under 1 inch round yellow fruits with red blush to completely red, tart skin with sweet flesh
Berries: red bitter berries (edible)
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU, PE
Native to: MB, ON, QC, NB
Other Names: canada buffalo berry, canada buffaloberry, canadian buffaloberry, foam berry, foamberry, russet buffaloberry, soap berry, soapberry, soopolallie
Other Names: american plum, black plum, canada plum, horse plum, wild plum