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Native Plant Propagation Guidelines:
shrubs

Shepherdia canadensis (soopolallie)

Category: 
shrubs

(photo by Dave Polster)

Unarmed, spreading 1-2 m tall shrub. Branches grey-brown covered with small, bran-like scabs on older stems and rusty spots on young growth. Leaves deciduous, opposite, oval, 2-6 cm long, dark green on upper surface and whitish/silvery felt of hairs and rusty brown scales on underside. Flowers inconspicuous (1-2 mm long), yellow-brown in colour. Male and female flowers on separate plants. Fruits bright red, translucent, oval, juicy berries. Berries are extremely bitter to the taste and soapy to the touch (Pojar et al.). Photo by Dave Polster.

Scientific Name: 

Shepherdia canadensis (L.) Nutt.

Family: 
Elaeagnaceae
English Name: 
soopolallie
Other Names: 
Canadian buffalo-berry, soapberry

Geographical Range and Habitat Requirements

Ecological Setting: 

Dry to moist open woods and thickets from lowlands to middle elevations. More common east of the Cascades, but also in the drier forests of the Puget Lowlands.

Soil Texture: 

Coarse-textured well-drained soils.

Nutrients: 

Tolerates poorer soils because of its nitrogen-fixing ability.

Soil Reaction and Salinity: 

Prefers neutral to mildly alkaline soils.

Moisture Regime: 

Moist to dry soils. Drought tolerant.

Shade Tolerance: 

Full sun to light shade.

Successional Status: 

Climax in semi-open forests. Pioneer on disturbed sites.

BEC Zone and GOE Community Status: 

Scattered throughout Coastal Douglas-fir zone. Occurs with Garry oak on limestone soils. More common in the British Columbia Interior where it is widely distributed.

Uses

Site Rehabilitation: 

Good candidate for reclamation plantings because of its drought tolerance and nitrogen-fixing ability.

Wildlife: 

Berries are eaten by black bears and grizzly bears, small mammals and birds.

Landscaping: 

Tough hedge when established. Attractive bark and showy red berries.

First Nations: 

Berries whipped to form "Indian ice cream" which was sweetened with salal berries, camas bulbs or hemlock cambium.

Other Uses: 
n/a

Seed Propagation

Flowering Time: 

June

Fruit Ripening Time: 

July - August

Seed Collection Time: 

July - August

Crop Intervals: 

Usually annual

Number of Seeds per Kilogram: 

114,000

Seed Viability: 

49% to 75%

Fruit and Seed Collection and Extraction: 

Fruit collected when ripe and juicy. Macerated in water immediately after collection (excessive foaming makes extraction time-consuming). Spread seeds in a thin layer to dry (Rose et al., 1998).

Seed Storage: 

Store at 5º C and 6-10% moisture content. Seeds viable in storage for three years or more.

Fruit/Seed Dormancy and Treatment: 

Seeds exhibit both embryo and mild seed-coat dormancy. Seeds thus benefit from light scarification. Before stratification soak seeds for 24 hours at room temperature. Cold-stratify seeds in moist vermiculite for 60 days (range 30 to 90). Watch for germination after 40 days (S. Bastin, personal communication). Sow stratified seeds in late spring (temperatures 30º C day, 20º C night) and watch for germination in 10 to 20 days.

Vegetative Propagation

Method Success Rate Time of Collection
Softwood cuttings Information not available  
Semi-hardwood cuttings 15% to 27% when cuttings were treated with 1000 to 3000 ppm IBA rooting hormone. 67 % when treated with 8000 ppm IBA rooting hormone (Luna et al., 2002). Early May as leaf buds begin to break dormancy (Luna et al., 2002).
Hardwood cuttings  Information not available  
Root cuttings Good February - March
Suckers  n/a n/a
Plant division n/a n/a
Layering Possible Autumn (Rose, Chachulski, and Haase, 1998)

 

Outplanting Characteristics and Requirements

Slow growing. Stock can be outplanted when it is two-years old, in the early spring. Very drought tolerant once established.

Seed and Cutting Propagation Techniques

n/a

Additional Information and Photos

For more information and pictures, visit the E-Flora BC website at www.eflora.bc.ca.