Red Elderberry vs Golden Currant - TreeTime.ca

Red Elderberry vs Golden Currant

Sambucus racemosa

Ribes aureum

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

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.

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)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: medium
Life span: medium
Life span: short
Suckering: none
Suckering: medium

Toxicity: toxic to humans

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


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