Red Elderberry vs American Black Currant - TreeTime.ca

Red Elderberry vs American Black Currant

Sambucus racemosa

Ribes americanum

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Red Elderberry
American Black 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.

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 Quick Facts

American Black Currant Quick Facts

Zone: 2a
Zone: 2a
Height: 4 m (13 ft)
Height: 1.2 m (4 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, wet
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: fast
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: white
Flowers: small, yellowish bell-shaped, in clusters
Bloom time: spring to early summer
Berries: bright red berries
Berries: black, edible
Flavor: tart, variable
Harvest: mid to late summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


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