Common Snowberry vs American Black Currant - TreeTime.ca

Common Snowberry vs American Black Currant

Ribes americanum

Symphoricarpos albus

CUSTOM GROW

American Black Currant
Common Snowberry

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 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 Quick Facts

Common Snowberry Quick Facts

Lowest Price: $12.99
Zone: 2a
Zone: 1a
Height: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Height: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: full sun
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: dry, normal
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: fast
Life span: medium
Life span: short
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: small, yellowish bell-shaped, in clusters
Flowers: pink to white flowers in spring
Bloom time: spring to early summer
Berries: black, edible
Berries: white waxy berries
Flavor: tart, variable
Harvest: mid to late summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


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