Staghorn Sumac vs Ben Sarek Black Currant - TreeTime.ca

Staghorn Sumac vs Ben Sarek Black Currant

Ribes nigrum Ben Sarek

Rhus typhina

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2025)

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Ben Sarek Black Currant
Staghorn Sumac

Ben Sarek Black Currant is a compact, high-yielding Black Currant cultivar, making it ideal for smaller gardens and easy berry picking. The large clusters of flavourful, sweet-tart berries ripen in mid-summer and are perfect for fresh eating, preserves, baked goods, and liqueurs. Plants may start producing some berries after two years, reaching full production in about four to five.

Developed by the Scottish Crop Research Institute, Ben Sarek Black Currant is resistant to powdery mildew and moderately resistant to white pine blister rust. It is self-fertile, meaning it does not require cross-pollination from another variety to produce fruit.

Staghorn Sumac is a popular ornamental shrub with red velvet like antlers that produce seeds that provide nice winter interest for landscapers and gardeners.

This low-maintenance plant is a great addition to any garden it is also used in shelterbelts.

Ben Sarek Black Currant Quick Facts

Staghorn Sumac Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 4a
Height: 1.1 m (4 ft)
Height: 3 m (10 ft)
Spread: 1.1 m (4 ft)
Spread: 3 m (10 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal
Moisture: dry, normal
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: medium
Life span: short
Life span: short
Growth form: compact, dense, rounded
Spreading: layering - low
Suckering: low
Maintenance: medium


Foliage: aromatic when crushed
Flowers: greenish-yellow
Flowers: small, green-yellow
Bloom time: early to mid spring
Fruit: small, red
Berries: black currants, edible
Flavor: sweet-tart
Harvest: mid-summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: ON, QC, NS, NB, PE
Other Names: ben sarek blackcurrant
Other Names: stags horn sumach, velvet sumac