Ninebark vs American Black Currant - TreeTime.ca

Ninebark vs American Black Currant

Ribes americanum

Physocarpus opulifolius

CUSTOM GROW

CUSTOM GROW

American Black Currant
Ninebark

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 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 Quick Facts

Ninebark Quick Facts

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


Fall colour: gold to red
Flowers: small, yellowish bell-shaped, in clusters
Flowers: small white clusters
Bloom time: spring to early summer
Berries: black, edible
Berries: small pink to purple berry like follicles
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: ON, QC, NS, NB
Other Names: eastern black currant, wild black currant