Common Snowberry vs American Black Currant - TreeTime.ca

Common Snowberry vs American Black Currant

Symphoricarpos albus

Ribes americanum

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2025)

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Common Snowberry
American Black Currant

Common Snowberry is a small deciduous shrub with characteristic white to pink flowers and clusters of white fruit.

This North American native species is very adaptable, and can be used for erosion control in riparian and restoration areas. Snowberry's fruit attracts wildlife, and livestock can consume the berries without issue.

American Black Currant is a native deciduous shrub known for its clusters of small black berries that ripen in mid-to-late summer. The berries are edible and have long been used for fresh eating, preserves, and baking. They provide food for birds and mammals, and their fragrant spring flowers attract bees and other pollinators.

American Black Currant’s foliage serves as a host plant for butterfly species such as the Green Comma and Gray Comma, and its dense branching offers cover for wildlife. The shrub has traditionally been planted in shelterbelts, riparian buffers, and restoration projects.

Common Snowberry Quick Facts

American Black Currant Quick Facts

Zone: 1a
Zone: 2a
Height: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Height: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Spread: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: fast
Life span: short
Life span: medium
Growth form: upright to spreading, thicket-forming
Spreading: seeds - medium
Suckering: none
Maintenance: medium

Toxicity: berries toxic to humans

Fall colour: gold to red
Bark: red-brown shredded bark
Flowers: pink to white flowers in spring
Flowers: small, yellowish bell-shaped, in clusters
Bloom time: spring to early summer
Berries: white waxy berries
Berries: black, edible
Flavor: tart, variable
Harvest: mid to late summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NT
Native to: AB, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB
Other Names: common snowberry
Other Names: eastern black currant, wild black currant