Pioneer Nursery
a Craftsmen's Lever Cooperative company
Shepherdia canadensis, commonly called Canada buffaloberry, russet buffaloberry, soopolallie, soapberry, or foamberry (Ktunaxa: kupaʔtiⱡ) is one of a small number of shrubs of the genus Shepherdia that bears edible berries.
The plant is a deciduous shrub, growing to a maximum of 1–4 metres (3+1⁄2–13 feet). The leaves are 6.5 centimetres (2+1⁄2 in) long, green above, and whitish and brownish below. The fruit is usually red, but one variety has yellow berries. The berries have a bitter taste.
It is a non-legume nitrogen fixer.
The common name of the plant in British Columbia is "soopolallie", a word derived from the historic Chinook Jargon trading language spoken in the North American Pacific Northwest in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The name is a composite of the Chinook words "soop" (soap) and "olallie" (berry).
The species is widespread in all of Canada, except in Prince Edward Island, and in the western and northern United States, including Alaska and Idaho.
It grows in openings and forest understories.
The fruit is edible, but the saponin chemicals it contains may cause gastrointestinal irritation if large quantities are consumed. Unrelated plants in the genus Sapindus, also commonly denominated "soapberry," produce toxic saponins.
Some Canadian First Nations peoples such as Nlaka'pamux (Thompson), St'at'imc (Lillooet), and Secwepemc (Shuswap) in the Province of British Columbia extensively collect the berries. The bitter berries (which may be sweetened by frosts) are processed with other berries as Indian ice cream. The saponins create a foam when the berry is whipped into a dessert dish. First Nations peoples believe that the berry has many health properties. Native-themed restaurants in British Columbia have occasionally offered the berries on their menus.
