Not the plant you're looking for? Search over 300,000 plants

Shrubs

Shepherdia argentea

silverberry

An upright, often tree-like, bushy deciduous shrub with oblong leaves covered in silvery scales. Insignificant greenish-yellow flowers in early spring are followed, on female plants, by bright red berries

Other common names

beef suet tree
buffalo berry
see morerabbit berry
silver buffaloberry

Save to My plants

Ultimate height

2.5–4 metres

Time to ultimate height

5–10 years

Ultimate spread

2.5–4 metres

Chalk

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Well–drained

pH

Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun

Aspect

South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Exposed or Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Elaeagnaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Bushy
Genus: Shepherdia are evergreen or deciduous shrubs or small trees, with oval or oblong leaves. Small flowers appear in spring before the leaves, male and female on separate plants, followed by colourful berries on female plants
Name status: Correct
Plant range: N & W North America

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in well-drained, neutral to slightly alkaline soil in full sun. Tolerates poor, dry soils and exposed coastal conditions. Both male and female plants must be grown together for fruit

Propagation

Propagate by seed sown in containers in a cold frame in autumn, or by greenwood cuttings in early summer

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Coastal
Cottage and informal garden
Low Maintenance

Pruning

Pruning group 1

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Generally disease-free

Get involved

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.