Silver Buffalo Berry

Shepherdia argentea, canadensis

(23) Silver Buffalo Berry – Shepherdia argentea, canadensis

delicious clusters of ripe Buffalo Berries

	bloom time – March, April

	I seem to be drawn to plants no one else likes. I don’t do it on purpose, I just like a plant, and then find out that no one else does. So it is with Silver Buffalo Berry. At first glance it looks like a Russian Olive Tree (another despised “weed tree.”), which is what most people think it is. But Silver Buffalo Berry was not brought over by our ancestors and planted for it’s fast growing ability to form fence rows. No, Silver Buffalo Berry has always been here. It was here when the Buffalo roamed free, and it is here today. 

Our Silver Buffalo Berry tree in September morning light

	
     It makes tiny, inconspicuous flowers that bloom in early spring. These grow into clusters of bright red berries that ripen after the Service Berries and Currants, but before the Wild Plums and Chokecherries, at a time when little other fruit is available. The taste of the berries gets a poor reputation in the wild food literature, often being relegated to the status of survival food. Survival food is food that you would only eat if you are starving to death and there is literally no other food available. But they are one of our favorite wild foods (I know, I say that a lot, but truth is we have a lot of favorites), and we eagerly await their ripening every summer. Their flavor is hard to describe, but it packs a punch. There is an astringency which takes some getting used to, but once you accept the berries for what they are they really can’t be beat. We usually eat as many as we can right off the tree, which is the best way to eat most berries, then take some home to put in a bowl on the table for constant snacking. Or, if there’s any left over, we will add them to our morning bowl of oats. Buffalo Berries also go good in a smoothie, with just about anything else you want to add to it. 

Branch loaded with berries

	Harvesting wild Buffalo Berries is a great experience. They ripen in late July. It’s hot, the trees are thorny, and the mosquitos come up off the river to feast on us as we feast on berries. I remember one time picking berries with Fynn when he was younger. It was really hot and we weren’t really talking, just picking and eating. After a while of this Fynn asked me why there are no Buffalo but there are still Buffalo Berries. It lead to a great discussion about the history of our land. We talked about what happened to the Buffalo, and why, and we think about this every time we pick Buffalo Berries now. 

Silver Buffalo Berry

		Take one bite and see
		why I am Silver Buffalo Berry-
		Does the silver slated sky
		send lightning to the ground below,
		seeking out the source of 
		all there is to know?
		Does the thunder mock the sound
		of hooves that pounded prairie ground?
		Do clouds shed tears of falling rain,
		memories of forgotten pain?
		Does the wind blow the past away,
		or does time, like a river,
		flow and change?
		Do the berries on this tree
		remind you of anything?
		Go ahead, pluck and eat, 
		the tender juices tart and sweet,
		be careful reaching out again,
		the piercing prick of thorn on skin,
		mosquitoes from the riverbed,
		the sun beats down upon my head,
		while in my mind the Nations roam
		that used to call this land 
		their home- 
		Why am I called Silver Buffalo Berry?
		Take one bite 
		and you will see. 

Silver Buffalo Berry, by Beth Lighthouse