Shepherdia argentea (Pursh) Nutt.

A thorny shrub. It can be a small tree. It grows 3.5 m high and spreads 3.5 m wide. Plants sucker readily. There are silvery brown scales on the leaves and twigs. The twigs are thorny. The leaves fall off during the year. They are opposite and simple. Leaves are 2-6 cm long and oblong. The flowers are white. They occur in small clusters on the previous year's twigs. Male and female flowers are on separate trees. The fruit are orange or red. They are berry like and 4-6 mm across. They are red, sour and edible.

Banks of streams and open wooded areas, often on limestone and on sandy soils. Found in riparian areas such as wet meadows, floodplains, terraces, and along streams, rivers, lakes, springs, and ponds.

The fruit are eaten fresh or dried for later use. The fruit are high in iron. They are used for jellies and pies. They are used to make a sauce to flavour meat. The fruit become sweeter after frost. The fruit are dried.

The plant can be grown from seed. It can also be grown from root suckers. It can be planted as a hedge.