Labrador Tea vs American Black Currant - TreeTime.ca

Labrador Tea vs American Black Currant

Rhododendron groenlandicum (Ledum groenlandicum)

Ribes americanum

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

CUSTOM GROW

Labrador Tea
American Black Currant

Labrador Tea is slow-growing evergreen shrub native to the boreal forests of Canada.

It thrives in wet, swampy conditions.

Labrador Tea has narrow, leathery, dark green leaves, topped by a cluster of white flowers in the spring. It is a perfect ornamental shrub for boggy, wet areas of your property.

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.

Labrador Tea Quick Facts

American Black Currant Quick Facts

Zone: 1a
Zone: 2a
Height: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Height: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Spread: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Light: any
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: any
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: slow
Growth rate: fast
Life span: short
Life span: medium
Growth form: upright to spreading, thicket-forming
Spreading: seeds - medium
Suckering: none
Maintenance: medium

Toxicity: slightly toxic if ingested

Foliage: leathery, orange undersides, evergreen
Fall colour: rust orange
Fall colour: gold to red
Flowers: white, fragrant
Flowers: small, yellowish bell-shaped, in clusters
Bloom time: spring to early summer
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, NT, NU, PE
Native to: AB, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB
Other Names: eastern black currant, wild black currant