Red Elderberry vs Alpine Currant - TreeTime.ca

Red Elderberry vs Alpine Currant

Ribes alpinum

Sambucus racemosa

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Alpine Currant
Red Elderberry

Alpine Currant is a great shrub to plant along sidewalks, near building or at your property boundary as a hedge or accent species. It is widely used by commercial landscapers in parking lots and near buildings because of its hardiness, attractiveness, and pollution tolerance.

While Alpine Currant produces edible berries, they are not palatable.

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.

Alpine Currant Quick Facts

Red Elderberry Quick Facts

Zone: 2a
Zone: 2a
Height: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Height: 4 m (13 ft)
Spread: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Spread: 3 m (10 ft)
Light: any
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: medium
Life span: medium
Life span: medium
Suckering: low
Suckering: none


Toxicity: toxic to humans
Foliage: glossy green
Flowers: greenish yellow and fragrant
Flowers: white
Berries: small, bright red
Berries: bright red berries
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, PE
Other Names: mountain currant
Other Names: red elder