Red Elderberry vs Golden Currant - TreeTime.ca

Red Elderberry vs Golden Currant

Ribes aureum

Sambucus racemosa

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Golden Currant
Red Elderberry

Golden Currant produces berries for jams, jellies, sauces and even pemmican. This currant bush is very dense, allowing for use as a hedge, windbreak, or wildlife habitat.

This plant is also a very popular rootstock to graft popular red and white currant varieties to. The resulting plants are taller, more productive, and easier to harvest.

Red Elderberry is an attractive, medium-sized deciduous shrub.

It produces clusters of white flowers in the spring and bright red berry-like drupes, which provide beautiful contrast against its coarse, textured green foliage.

Red Elder can be pruned as a small single or multi-stemmed tree.

Golden Currant Quick Facts

Red Elderberry Quick Facts

Lowest Price: $8.99 - SAVE UP TO 33%
Zone: 4a
Zone: 2a
Height: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Height: 4 m (13 ft)
Spread: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Spread: 3 m (10 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: medium
Life span: short
Life span: medium
Suckering: medium
Suckering: none


Toxicity: toxic to humans
Fall colour: reddish purple
Flowers: yellow
Flowers: white
Berries: glossy black berries
Berries: bright red berries
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC
Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, PE
Other Names: buffalo currant, clove currant, fragrant golden currant, golden flowering currant, spicebush
Other Names: red elder