BOTANICAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
SPECIES: Shepherdia argentea | Silver Buffaloberry 



GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS : 
Silver buffaloberry is a native, deciduous, thicket-forming small tree
or large shrub with spreading to ascending thorny branches
[47,32,87,85].  It grows from 3.3 to 20 feet (1-6 m) tall [25,33,41,54].
Leaves are 0.8 to 2.0 inches (2-5 cm) long and 0.28 to 0.4 inch (7-10
mm) wide [25,71].  The drupelike, ovoid fruit is 0.16 to 0.24 inch (4-6
mm) long [36,47] and is one seeded [71].  In western North Dakota 
rooting patterns of 323 silver buffaloberry shrubs were examined.  On
12-year-old silver buffaloberry shrubs that were 12 feet (3.6 m) tall,
97 percent of the total roots were found in the first 4 feet (1.2 m) of
soil.  The longest root was 22 feet (6.6 m) long.  The maximum depth of
root penetration was 5.8 feet (1.74 m).

Silver buffaloberry has thin, exfoliating bark with shallow furrows and
flat-topped ridges [71].  

A study on relatively undisturbed sites in North Dakota showed that
silver buffaloberry stems were 1 to 32 years old, with an average age of
7.62 years [39].


RAUNKIAER LIFE FORM : 
   Phanerophyte


REGENERATION PROCESSES : 
Sexual:  Seed production begins at 4 to 6 years of age, with good seed
crops generally produced every 3 to 4 years [77].  The small, hard seed
shows poor and erratic germination.  The embryo is dormant; cold
stratification at 41 degrees Fahrenheit (5 deg C) for 60 to 90 days will
increase germination [66,68,77].  Seed can be stored under cold, dry
conditions in the laboratory for 11 to 15 years and retain viability
[66].  Silver buffaloberry seed with a moisture content of 13.1 percent
showed 97 percent germination after 3.5 years of storage at 41 degrees
Fahrenheit (5 deg C) [77].  Seed is disseminated primarily by animals
[77].

Vegetative:  Silver buffaloberry sprouts originate from a complex
network of underground stems and rootstocks [28,39,85].  It also sprouts
from the root crown [29].  Shrubs are interconnected for distances of up
to 20 feet (6 m).  In western North Dakota no seedlings were found in
323 silver buffaloberry shrubs examined [39].
    


SITE CHARACTERISTICS : 
Silver buffaloberry occurs in riparian areas such as wet meadows,
floodplains, terraces, and along streams, rivers, lakes, springs, and
ponds [8,32,25,30,39]. 

Silver buffaloberry grows best on moist to semiwet soils with good
drainage [28,70], but will grow in semishaded areas and on dry, exposed
hillsides [28,35,71,85,87].  It grows best on loam and sandy loam soils,
but occurs on clay, clay loam, and gravelly substrates as well
[8,17,28,70].  Silver buffaloberry is tolerant of poorly drained soils
and some flooding, but is intolerant of prolonged flooding and
permanently high water tables [28].

Elevations for silver buffaloberry are as follows:

                         feet               meters       

Arizona                     5,000              1,500      [42]
California            3,300-6,600        1,000-2,000      [36]    
Colorado              3,800-7,500        1,140-2,250      [10]
Montana               3,500-7,000        1,050-2,100      [10]
New Mexico            3,000-7,000          900-2,100      [39]
Nevada                3,500-6,500        1,050-1,950      [70]
Utah                  5,000-7,000        1,500-2,100      [10]
Wyoming               3,500-7,000        1,050-2,100      [10]


SUCCESSIONAL STATUS : 
Silver buffaloberry occurs in seral and climax communities.  It is
generally shade intolerant, but grows in some shaded areas such as
semiwooded draws [29,36,85].  In New Mexico silver buffaloberry is an
obligate riparian species [9].  In North Dakota silver buffaloberry is
a pioneer species that invades grasslands [39]; it also occurs on older
portions of streams [55].  Silver buffaloberry is a highly competitive
species except with taller woody plants such as green ash [28,85].

In the northern Great Plains, silver buffaloberry forms dense, nearly
impenetrable thickets, often exceeding 6.6 feet (2 m) [28].  Where
there is abundant moisture and deep fertile soil, silver buffaloberry
may reach tree height; where conditions are severe, silver buffaloberry
persists as a low or medium shrub [57].

In California silver buffaloberry trees have suffered much crown
dieback as a result of water diversion; many of the damaged shrubs are
now regenerating from sprouts and seeds [73].
   


SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT : 
Silver buffaloberry flowering dates are as follows:

California              Apr-May       [89]
Colorado                Apr-Aug       [10]
Great Plains            May-Jun       [25]
Montana                 Apr-Jun       [77]     
Nevada                  Apr-May       [70]
North Dakota            Apr-May       [10]
Utah                    Apr-May       [10]
Wyoming                 May-July      [10]
Saskatchewan            late Apr      [33]

Fruit ripening occurs from July to September in the Great Plains, July
to August in Nevada, June to August in Montana, and in early August in
Saskatchewan [25,70,71,77].  Seed dispersal occurs from June to December
in Montana [77].  

Related categories for Species: Shepherdia argentea | Silver Buffaloberry