Red Elderberry vs American Black Currant - TreeTime.ca

Red Elderberry vs American Black Currant

Ribes americanum

Sambucus racemosa

CUSTOM GROW

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

American Black Currant
Red Elderberry

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.

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.

American Black Currant Quick Facts

Red Elderberry Quick Facts

Zone: 2a
Zone: 2a
Height: 1.2 m (4 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, wet
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: medium
Life span: medium
Life span: medium
Growth form: upright to spreading, thicket-forming
Spreading: seeds - medium
Suckering: none
Maintenance: medium


Toxicity: toxic to humans
Fall colour: gold to red
Flowers: small, yellowish bell-shaped, in clusters
Flowers: white
Bloom time: spring to early summer
Berries: black, edible
Berries: bright red berries
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: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, PE
Other Names: eastern black currant, wild black currant
Other Names: red elder