Canadian Buffaloberry vs Oregon Grape - TreeTime.ca

Canadian Buffaloberry vs Oregon Grape

Shepherdia canadensis

Berberis aquifolium (Mahonia aquifolium)

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2025)

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Canadian Buffaloberry
Oregon Grape

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.

Oregon Grape is an evergreen shrub native to North America, found along the Pacific coast. In spring, the bright golden-yellow flowers appear in clusters above the leaves. These flowers eventually give way to edible blue berries in late summer. While not a true grape, the berries appear grape-like due to their colouring and clustered growth. They can be eaten fresh, but the sour taste and high amounts of natural pectin make them well suited for preserves.

The Oregon Grape has leaves that are glossy, leathery, and spiny-edged. This feature gives it its alternate name of Holly-leaved Barberry. When the leaves emerge in the spring they are a bronze-red colour. In the summer they transition to green, followed by bright red to deep burgundy in the fall. Leaves are retained throughout the winter and colder temperatures cause the leaves to turn purplish bronze, providing year round interest to the landscape.

Canadian Buffaloberry Quick Facts

Oregon Grape Quick Facts

Zone: 1a
Zone: 5a
Height: 3 m (10 ft)
Height: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Spread: 1.8 m (6 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: shade, partial shade
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: medium
Life span: short
Life span: long
Suckering: none
Suckering: medium
Maintenance: medium


Foliage: dark green with silver undersides
Fall colour: bright red to deep burgundy
Flowers: tiny, red
Flowers: yellow
Berries: red bitter berries (edible)
Berries: blue to purple, large
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Other Names: canada buffalo berry, canada buffaloberry, canadian buffaloberry, foam berry, foamberry, russet buffaloberry, soap berry, soapberry, soopolallie