Taxon Report

Shepherdia canadensis (L.) Nutt.

Canadian buffalo-berry

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Shepherdia canadensis, commonly known as Canadian buffalo-berry, is a perennial shrub in the Elaeagnaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Upper montane coniferous forest, growing at elevations from 1731 to 1731 meters. Shepherdia canadensis is ranked 2B.1, Plants Rare, Threatened, or Endangered in California, But More Common Elsewhere; Seriously threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Shepherdia canadensis (L.) Nutt.
Common Name:	Canadian buffalo-berry
Family:	Elaeagnaceae
Element Code:	PDELG03020
USDA Plants Symbol:	SHCA
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial shrub
Blooming Period: Apr-Jul	Apr-Jul
Elevation:	1731-1731 (5680-5680)
General Habitats:	Upper montane coniferous forest
Microhabitat:	Rocky, Serpentine, Streambanks
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	2B.1
Global Rank:	G5
State Rank:	S1
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:
CRPR Changes:	changed from 2.1 to 2B.1 on 2013-06-12 changed from 2.2 to 2.1 on 2009-11-19 added to 2.2 on 2006-10-13

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	1
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	0
Fair (C)	0
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	1

Location


California Endemic: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Siskiyou (SIS)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
China Mtn. (4112245)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	1
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	1	100 %
Logging	1	100%

Notes



Known in CA from only the Klamath Mtns. of SIS Co. Possibly threatened by logging. See Four Seasons 10: 59-60 (1995) and Madroño 43(1):97 (1996) for information on the first record in CA.
Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

CRPR List Addition on 2006-10-13

Shepherdia canadensis account for potential Species of Conservation Concern evaluation (2021)

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 3 December 2025].