Elaeagnaceae FAMILY

Shepherdia argentea

Edibility

3/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

The fruit contains low concentrations of saponins[ 101 Title Edible Wild Fruits and Nuts of Canada. Publication Author Turner. N. J. and Szczawinski. A. Publisher National Museum of Natural Sciences Year 1978 ISBN - Description A very readable guide to some wild foods of Canada. ]. Although poisonous, saponins also have a range of medicinal applications and many saponin-rich plants are used in herbalism (particularly as emetics, expectorants and febrifuges) or as sources of raw materials for the pharmaceutical industry. Saponins are also found in a number of common foods, such as many beans. Saponins have a quite bitter flavour and are in general poorly absorbed by the human body, so most pass through without harm. They can be removed by carefully leaching in running water. Thorough cooking, and perhaps changing the cooking water once, will also normally remove most of them. However, it is not advisable to eat large quantities of raw foods that contain saponins. Saponins are much more toxic to many cold-blooded creatures, such as fish, and hunting tribes have traditionally put large quantities of them in streams, lakes etc in order to stupefy or kill the fish and make them easy to catch[ K Title Plants for a Future Author Ken Fern Description Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips. ].

Botanical Description

Shepherdia argentea is a deciduous shrub or small tree, much-branched, often with spine-tipped branchlets; it usually grows 90 - 350cm tall, though it can reach 600cm. The plant spreads at the roots and can produce thickets of growth[ 11 Title Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Publication Author Bean. W. Publisher Murray Year 1981 ISBN - Description A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures. , 1050 Title Fire Effects Information System Publication Author Website http://www.feis-crs.org/feis/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An on-line information site with comprehensive information on over 1,100 species of plant. Mainly developed to supply information on the effects of fire on plants and animals, it also contains a wealth of other information on the plants ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and a medicine. It is occasionally grown as a fruit crop in northern America and is also grown as an ornamental, where it can be used as a hedge.

Habitat & Origin

Origintemperate

Native RangeCentral N. America - Alberta to Manitoba, south through Oregon and Ninnesota to California, Arizona and New Mexico

HabitatBanks of streams[ 43 Title Gray's Manual of Botany.Eighth Edition Publication Author Fernald. M. L. Publisher American Book Co.; New York Year 1950 ISBN 0442222505 Description A bit dated but a good and concise flora of the eastern part of N. America. ] and open wooded areas, often on limestone[ 101 Title Edible Wild Fruits and Nuts of Canada. Publication Author Turner. N. J. and Szczawinski. A. Publisher National Museum of Natural Sciences Year 1978 ISBN - Description A very readable guide to some wild foods of Canada. ] and on sandy soils[ 229 Title The Complete Trees of N. America. Field Guide and Natural History. Publication Author Elias. T. Publisher Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. Year 1980 ISBN 0442238622 Description A very good concise guide. Gives habitats, good descriptions, maps showing distribution and a few of the uses. It also includes the many shrubs that occasionally reach tree proportions. ]. Found in riparian areas such as wet meadows, floodplains, terraces, and along streams, rivers, lakes, springs, and ponds[ 1050 Title Fire Effects Information System Publication Author Website http://www.feis-crs.org/feis/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An on-line information site with comprehensive information on over 1,100 species of plant. Mainly developed to supply information on the effects of fire on plants and animals, it also contains a wealth of other information on the plants ].