Ninebark vs Bristly Black Currant - TreeTime.ca

Ninebark vs Bristly Black Currant

Physocarpus opulifolius

Ribes lacustre

CUSTOM GROW

CUSTOM GROW

Ninebark
Bristly Black Currant

Ninebark is a small, multi-stemmed shrub, that is used to add texture or colour to any yard.

It features flaky, cinnamon-brown bark, attractive white flowers, and long, maple-like leaves.

Bristly Black Currant is a native deciduous shrub that grows in moist forests, swamps, and riparian areas. In summer, it produces clusters of dark purple to black berries that provide food for wildlife, while its reddish-purple flowers attract pollinators. The berries are technically edible and enjoyed by some, but many find them unpleasant and bitter.

Thriving in moist soils and shaded locations, Bristly Black Currant helps stabilize soil and supports diverse habitats. It is valuable for conservation plantings, wetland restoration, riparian buffers, and naturalization projects.

Note: When crushed, the berries are known to release an offensive odour.

Ninebark Quick Facts

Bristly Black Currant Quick Facts

Zone: 2a
Zone: 3a
Height: 2.1 m (7 ft)
Height: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 2.1 m (7 ft)
Spread: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: slow
Growth rate: medium
Life span: long
Life span: medium
Growth form: upright to spreading, thicket-forming
Spreading: seeds - medium, layering - low
Suckering: none
Maintenance: medium


Toxicity: prickles may cause an allergic reaction
Bark: reddish brown with prickles
Flowers: small white clusters
Flowers: small maroon-green clusters
Bloom time: spring to early summer
Berries: small pink to purple berry like follicles
Berries: dark purple with hairs, edible
Flavor: tart, unpleasant
Harvest: mid to late summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: ON, QC, NS, NB
Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, PE
Other Names: black gooseberry, black swamp gooseberry, bristly black gooseberry, bristly currant, bristly swamp currant, prickly currant