Red Elderberry vs Golden Currant - TreeTime.ca

Red Elderberry vs Golden Currant

Sambucus racemosa

Ribes aureum

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON

Red Elderberry
Golden Currant

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.

Note: This species is currently unavailable. Grow your own using Red Elderberry seeds at SeedTime.ca.

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 Quick Facts

Golden Currant Quick Facts

Zone: 2a
Zone: 4a
Height: 4 m (13 ft)
Height: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Spread: 3 m (10 ft)
Spread: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Moisture: normal
Moisture: normal
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no
Fall colour: reddish purple
Berries: bright red berries
Berries: glossy black berries
Flowers: white
Flowers: yellow
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: medium
Life span: medium
Life span: short
Suckering: none
Suckering: medium



Toxicity: toxic to humans

Other Names: red elder
Other Names: buffalo currant, clove currant, fragrant golden currant, golden flowering currant, spicebush