Shrubby Cinquefoil (Potentilla) vs American Black Currant - TreeTime.ca

Shrubby Cinquefoil (Potentilla) vs American Black Currant

Ribes americanum

Dasiphora fruticosa syn. Potentilla fruticosa

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

American Black Currant
Shrubby Cinquefoil (Potentilla)

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.

Shrubby Cinquefoil is a small, deciduous flowering shrub. This hardy species is densely covered with leaves and produces pale to bright yellow buttercup-shaped flowers terminally on the stems.

Flowering typically occurs from early to late summer. Shrubby Cinquefoil is a popular ornamental shrub choice and is capable of growing on a variety of sites.

American Black Currant Quick Facts

Shrubby Cinquefoil (Potentilla) Quick Facts

Zone: 2a
Zone: 1a
Height: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Height: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: fast
Life span: medium
Life span: short
Growth form: upright to spreading, thicket-forming
Spreading: seeds - medium
Suckering: medium
Maintenance: medium


Fall colour: gold to red
Flowers: small, yellowish bell-shaped, in clusters
Flowers: bright yellow cup-shaped
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, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB
Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, NT, NU
Other Names: eastern black currant, wild black currant
Other Names: tundra rose