Free Shipping   |   Choose your own Shipping Date   |   Our Guarantee   |   Volume Discounts   |   How to Order

 
 
 

Red Currant vs Oregon Grape

Ribes rubrum

Berberis aquifolium (Mahonia aquifolium)

SOLD OUT

SOLD OUT

Red Currant
Oregon Grape

Red Currant is a deciduous shrub native to western Europe. It features five-lobed, maple-like leaves, and bright red berries that can be used in jams, sauces, and fresh eating.

Although this shrub is self-fertile, it will be more productive if another pollinator is present. For year over year high yields, ensure you fertilize (bone meal), prune, and mulch your Red Currant shrub.

Oregon Grape is an evergreen shrub native to North America, found along the Pacific coast. In spring, the bright golden-yellow flowers appear in clusters above the leaves. These flowers eventually give way to edible blue berries in late summer. While not a true grape, the berries appear grape-like due to their colouring and clustered growth. They can be eaten fresh, but the sour taste and high amounts of natural pectin make them well suited for preserves.

The Oregon Grape has leaves that are glossy, leathery, and spiny-edged. This feature gives it its alternate name of Holly-leaved Barberry. When the leaves emerge in the spring they are a bronze-red colour. In the summer they transition to green, followed by bright red to deep burgundy in the fall. Leaves are retained throughout the winter and colder temperatures cause the leaves to turn purplish bronze, providing year round interest to the landscape.

RED CURRANT QUICK FACTS

OREGON GRAPE QUICK FACTS

Zone: 3a
Zone: 5a
Height: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Height: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Spread: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Moisture: normal
Moisture: normal, wet
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: shade, partial shade
Fall colour: bright red to deep burgundy
Berries: blue to purple, large
Flowers: yellow
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: medium
Life span: medium
Life span: long
Maintenance: medium
Maintenance: medium
Suckering: none
Suckering: medium