Canadian Buffaloberry vs Chester Thornless Blackberry - TreeTime.ca

Canadian Buffaloberry vs Chester Thornless Blackberry

Shepherdia canadensis

Rubus fruticosa Chester (Thornless)

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2025)

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2025)

Canadian Buffaloberry
Chester Thornless Blackberry

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.

Chester Thornless Blackberry is a self-pollinating fruit-bearing shrub. In mid-summer, the Chester Thornless Blackberry produces large, sweet-tasting, heart-shaped blackberries that are perfect for fresh eating. It is a semi-erect blackberry plant that requires little support from a trellis to keep its fruit off the ground. Don't forget to protect your berries. The birds love this shrub almost as much as you will.

Chester Thornless Blackberries are floricanes, primarily fruiting on second year canes. Each spring cut back all two-year old canes, leaving only the last year’s growth.

Canadian Buffaloberry Quick Facts

Chester Thornless Blackberry Quick Facts

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


Foliage: dark green with silver undersides
Flowers: tiny, red
Flowers: pink
Berries: red bitter berries (edible)
Berries: heart shaped black
Firmness: firm
Harvest: July
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU, PE
Other Names: canada buffalo berry, canada buffaloberry, canadian buffaloberry, foam berry, foamberry, russet buffaloberry, soap berry, soapberry, soopolallie
Other Names: chester blackberry, hardy blackberry