Description

Buffalo-berry (Shepherdia canadensis) is a deciduous shrub. It is easily recognized by the opposite, entire leaves and the presence of reddish scales on the twigs and the stalks and undersurface of the leaves. The flowers are greenish, a few millimeters long, and appear in spring as the leaves emerge. The fruit is a reddish berry that can be found only on female plants. This species is related to and somewhat resembles the group of exotic, invasive shrubs known as “autumn-olive” or “Russian-olive” (genus Elaeagnus), but the latter plants have alternate leaves.

Rank Justification

Critically imperiled in the nation or state because of extreme rarity (often 5 or fewer occurrences) or because of some factor(s) such as very steep declines making it especially vulnerable to extirpation from the state.

The buffalo-berry has been given a status of Endangered on the Plants of Special Concern in Pennsylvania list by the Pennsylvania Biological Survey and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. It is currently known from fewer than ten locations that are mostly in the extreme northwestern corner of the state.