Soapberry is also commonly known as Canadian or Russet Buffaloberry, Rabbitberry, Soopolallie, or Foamberry.  Common names refer to how its crushed red berries can be whipped into a foam.  In Chinook Jargon “soop” means soap and “ollalie” means berry. Shepherdia is named for John Shepherd,” once a curator of Liverpool Botanic Gardens; canadensis means “of Canada.”

Several shrubs are in this family, such as Oleaster, Elaeagnus angustifolia, are grown ornamentally for their silvery or golden foliage.  Silverberry, Elaeagnus commutata, is an inland native, also grown ornamentally.  Shepherdia is a genus with only three species native to northern and western North America.

Soapberry is found throughout most of northern and western North America; all across Canada; from the Arctic Circle to northern Arizona and New Mexico in the west; through the Great Lakes Region and New York and Maine to the east.  On the west coast, it is more common inland, but can be found on Vancouver Island, and other smaller islands in British Columbia; the San Juan Islands, and surrounding shores in the Olympic rainshadow.  In Oregon, it is mostly limited to the east side of the Cascades; in California, documented specimens have been found in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest.