Goji Berry vs Bristly Black Currant - TreeTime.ca

Goji Berry vs Bristly Black Currant

Lycium barbarum

Ribes lacustre

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

CUSTOM GROW

Goji Berry
Bristly Black Currant

Goji Berry is a woody, deciduous perennial known for its hearty, bright orange-red berries. It typically produces light lavender flowers from June through September, with fruit maturation taking place between August and October.

Goji Berry berries are delicious, nutrient rich, high in antioxidants, and are often called a super fruit. Many describe their flavour as being like a tart cherry tomato.

Bristly Black Currant is a native deciduous shrub that grows in moist forests, swamps, and riparian areas. In summer, it produces clusters of dark purple to black berries that provide food for wildlife, while its reddish-purple flowers attract pollinators. The berries are technically edible and enjoyed by some, but many find them unpleasant and bitter.

Thriving in moist soils and shaded locations, Bristly Black Currant helps stabilize soil and supports diverse habitats. It is valuable for conservation plantings, wetland restoration, riparian buffers, and naturalization projects.

Note: When crushed, the berries are known to release an offensive odour.

Goji Berry Quick Facts

Bristly Black Currant Quick Facts

Zone: 2a
Zone: 3a
Height: 3 m (10 ft)
Height: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 1.5 m (5 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: medium
Growth rate: medium
Life span: short
Life span: medium
Growth form: upright to spreading, thicket-forming
Spreading: seeds - medium, layering - low
Suckering: none
Maintenance: medium


Toxicity: prickles may cause an allergic reaction
Bark: reddish brown with prickles
Flowers: lavender or purple
Flowers: small maroon-green clusters
Bloom time: spring to early summer
Berries: small orange-red berries (1-2 cm) that are considered a "superfood". Berries ripen between July and October
Berries: dark purple with hairs, edible
Flavor: tart, unpleasant
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, PE
Other Names: goji, wolfberry
Other Names: black gooseberry, black swamp gooseberry, bristly black gooseberry, bristly currant, bristly swamp currant, prickly currant