Red Elderberry vs Ben Sarek Black Currant - TreeTime.ca

Red Elderberry vs Ben Sarek Black Currant

Sambucus racemosa

Ribes nigrum Ben Sarek

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Red Elderberry
Ben Sarek 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.

Ben Sarek Black Currant is a compact, high-yielding Black Currant cultivar, making it ideal for smaller gardens and easy berry picking. The large clusters of flavourful, sweet-tart berries ripen in mid-summer and are perfect for fresh eating, preserves, baked goods, and liqueurs. Plants may start producing some berries after two years, reaching full production in about four to five.

Developed by the Scottish Crop Research Institute, Ben Sarek Black Currant is resistant to powdery mildew and moderately resistant to white pine blister rust. It is self-fertile, meaning it does not require cross-pollination from another variety to produce fruit.

Red Elderberry Quick Facts

Ben Sarek Black Currant Quick Facts

Zone: 2a
Zone: 3a
Height: 4 m (13 ft)
Height: 1.1 m (4 ft)
Spread: 3 m (10 ft)
Spread: 1.1 m (4 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: fast
Life span: medium
Life span: short
Growth form: compact, dense, rounded
Spreading: layering - low
Suckering: none
Maintenance: medium

Toxicity: toxic to humans

Foliage: aromatic when crushed
Flowers: white
Flowers: greenish-yellow
Bloom time: early to mid spring
Berries: bright red berries
Berries: black currants, edible
Flavor: sweet-tart
Harvest: mid-summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, PE
Other Names: red elder
Other Names: ben sarek blackcurrant