Canadian Buffaloberry vs American Black Currant - TreeTime.ca

Canadian Buffaloberry vs American Black Currant

Shepherdia canadensis

Ribes americanum

CUSTOM GROW

Canadian Buffaloberry
American Black Currant

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.

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.

Canadian Buffaloberry Quick Facts

American Black Currant Quick Facts

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Zone: 1a
Zone: 2a
Height: 3 m (10 ft)
Height: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Spread: 1.8 m (6 ft)
Spread: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: fast
Life span: short
Life span: medium
Growth form: upright to spreading, thicket-forming
Spreading: seeds - medium
Suckering: none
Maintenance: medium


Foliage: dark green with silver undersides
Fall colour: gold to red
Flowers: tiny, red
Flowers: small, yellowish bell-shaped, in clusters
Bloom time: spring to early summer
Berries: red bitter berries (edible)
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: canada buffalo berry, canada buffaloberry, canadian buffaloberry, foam berry, foamberry, russet buffaloberry, soap berry, soapberry, soopolallie
Other Names: eastern black currant, wild black currant