Canadian Buffaloberry vs Golden Currant - TreeTime.ca

Canadian Buffaloberry vs Golden Currant

Ribes aureum

Shepherdia canadensis

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2025)

Golden Currant
Canadian Buffaloberry

Golden Currant produces berries for jams, jellies, sauces and even pemmican. This currant bush is very dense, allowing for use as a hedge, windbreak, or wildlife habitat.

This plant is also a very popular rootstock to graft popular red and white currant varieties to. The resulting plants are taller, more productive, and easier to harvest.

Canadian Buffalo Berry is a native deciduous shrub found throughout North America. This hardy, medium-sized shrub will tolerate poor soil conditions and produces attractive, edible–though very bitter–red fruit.

Golden Currant Quick Facts

Canadian Buffaloberry Quick Facts

Zone: 4a
Zone: 1a
Height: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Height: 3 m (10 ft)
Spread: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Spread: 1.8 m (6 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal
Moisture: dry, normal
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: fast
Life span: short
Life span: short
Suckering: medium
Suckering: none


Foliage: dark green with silver undersides
Fall colour: reddish purple
Flowers: yellow
Flowers: tiny, red
Berries: glossy black berries
Berries: red bitter berries (edible)
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC
Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU, PE
Other Names: buffalo currant, clove currant, fragrant golden currant, golden flowering currant, spicebush
Other Names: canada buffalo berry, canada buffaloberry, canadian buffaloberry, foam berry, foamberry, russet buffaloberry, soap berry, soapberry, soopolallie