Ninebark vs American Black Currant - TreeTime.ca

Ninebark vs American Black Currant

Physocarpus opulifolius

Ribes americanum

CUSTOM GROW

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Ninebark
American 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.

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.

Ninebark Quick Facts

American Black Currant Quick Facts

Zone: 2a
Zone: 2a
Height: 2.1 m (7 ft)
Height: 1.2 m (4 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: fast
Life span: long
Life span: medium
Growth form: upright to spreading, thicket-forming
Spreading: seeds - medium
Suckering: none
Maintenance: medium


Fall colour: gold to red
Flowers: small white clusters
Flowers: small, yellowish bell-shaped, in clusters
Bloom time: spring to early summer
Berries: small pink to purple berry like follicles
Berries: black, edible
Flavor: tart, variable
Harvest: mid to late summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


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