ifolia . ▁N ort he astern ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁species ' ▁range . ▁A . ▁a . ▁var . ▁p um ila ▁( N utt .) ▁A . N el son . ▁Rock y ▁Mountains , ▁Sierra ▁Nev ada . ▁A . ▁a . ▁var . ▁semi integr ifolia ▁( H ook .) ▁C . L . H itch c . ▁Pacific ▁coast al ▁regions , ▁Al aska ▁to ▁north western ▁California . ▁ ▁Cult iv ation ▁and ▁uses ▁Se ed lings ▁are ▁plant ed ▁with ▁ ▁between ▁rows ▁and ▁ ▁between ▁plants . ▁An ▁individual ▁bush ▁may ▁bear ▁fruit ▁ 3 0 ▁or ▁more ▁years . ▁ ▁S ask ato ons ▁are ▁adapt able ▁to ▁most ▁soil ▁types ▁with ▁exception ▁of ▁poor ly ▁dra ined ▁or ▁heavy ▁cl ay ▁so ils ▁lack ing ▁organ ic ▁matter . ▁Sh allow ▁so ils ▁should ▁be ▁avoided , ▁especially ▁if ▁the ▁water ▁table ▁is ▁high ▁or ▁err atic . ▁Winter ▁hard iness ▁is ▁exception al , ▁but ▁fro st ▁can ▁damage ▁blo oms ▁as ▁late ▁as ▁May . ▁Lar ge ▁amounts ▁of ▁sun sh ine ▁are ▁needed ▁for ▁fruit ▁rip ening . ▁ ▁With ▁a ▁sweet , ▁nut ty ▁taste , ▁the ▁f ruits ▁have ▁long ▁been ▁e aten ▁by ▁Canada ' s ▁ab original ▁people , ▁fresh ▁or ▁d ried . ▁They ▁are ▁well ▁known ▁as ▁an ▁ing red ient ▁in ▁p em m ican , ▁a ▁prepar ation ▁of ▁d ried ▁meat ▁to ▁which ▁s ask ato on ▁ber ries ▁are ▁added ▁as