Common Snowberry vs Ben Sarek Black Currant - TreeTime.ca

Common Snowberry vs Ben Sarek Black Currant

Ribes nigrum Ben Sarek

Symphoricarpos albus

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Ben Sarek Black Currant
Common Snowberry

Ben Sarek Black Currant is a compact, high-yielding Black Currant cultivar, making it ideal for smaller gardens and easy berry picking. The large clusters of flavourful, sweet-tart berries ripen in mid-summer and are perfect for fresh eating, preserves, baked goods, and liqueurs. Plants may start producing some berries after two years, reaching full production in about four to five.

Developed by the Scottish Crop Research Institute, Ben Sarek Black Currant is resistant to powdery mildew and moderately resistant to white pine blister rust. It is self-fertile, meaning it does not require cross-pollination from another variety to produce fruit.

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.

Ben Sarek Black Currant Quick Facts

Common Snowberry Quick Facts

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Zone: 3a
Zone: 1a
Height: 1.1 m (4 ft)
Height: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 1.1 m (4 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: full sun
Moisture: normal
Moisture: dry, normal
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: fast
Life span: short
Life span: short
Growth form: compact, dense, rounded
Spreading: layering - low
Suckering: none
Maintenance: medium


Toxicity: berries toxic to humans
Foliage: aromatic when crushed
Bark: red-brown shredded bark
Flowers: greenish-yellow
Flowers: pink to white flowers in spring
Bloom time: early to mid spring
Berries: black currants, edible
Berries: white waxy berries
Flavor: sweet-tart
Harvest: mid-summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NT
Other Names: ben sarek blackcurrant
Other Names: common snowberry