Soopolallie

A lovely part of the wild—and home—landscape

Soopolallie grows abundantly in our region. Its graceful form is familiar to anyone who spends time in local wild areas, hiking, berry picking, hunting or bird watching. 
On the drier slopes of the Rockies, soopolallie berries are the usual summer food for grizzly bears, especially in poor huckleberry seasons.

You can recognize a soopolallie by the dark green oval leaves that grow in pairs on opposite sides of the stem. These leaves have brown spots and tiny silvery-white hairs on their undersides.

You can also recognize soopolallie by its bright, shiny red berries. These translucent berries are bitter to the taste. They are edible, however, and high in Vitamin C. They’re also known for a unique culinary application: they can be whipped into a froth to make a bittersweet eating treat. For more sweetness, other berries or even hemlock tree cambium can be added. Interior First Nations groups have enjoyed this special wild dish for generations.

The name “soopolallie” comes from the Chinook language and means “soap berry.” The berry pulp is soapy to the touch because it contains the substance saponin. Saponin makes the soopolallie berries perfect for frothing up with an equal amount of water.

The flowers of the soopolallie are small, yellow and fairly inconspicuous. But this is still a lovely looking bush: its leaves are spaced well apart from each other, giving it an open, symmetrical appearance.

Also known by its Latin name, Shepherdia Canadensis, soopolallie is a great choice for xeriscape (low water) gardens: it’s nice to look at throughout the year, it’s not a favourite of deer, and it will thrive in poor soils without a lot of water. For berry production, both male and female plants are required. Ask at your local nursery that carries native plants. Soopolallie is associated with nitrogen-fixing bacteria, so it can thrive in—and indeed help re-establish vegetation on—disturbed sites.

Unlike other shrubs in the region—alder, for example—you can easily get around a soopolallie bush. Take a closer look at it while you pass and enjoy its low-key beauty.