Variegated Dogwood vs Ben Sarek Black Currant - TreeTime.ca

Variegated Dogwood vs Ben Sarek Black Currant

Cornus alba argenteo-marginata

Ribes nigrum Ben Sarek

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2025)

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2025)

Variegated Dogwood
Ben Sarek Black Currant

Variegated Dogwood is a small shrub that is often used in the first row of a shelterbelt, as a hedge, or for soil stabilization projects. It has the same distinctive red bark, white flowers, and berries as Red Osier Dogwood.

The key difference between the two is the leaves. Where Red Osier's leaves are green throughout, Variegated Dogwood has a white outline around each leaf, giving this shrub a distinctive look.

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.

Variegated Dogwood Quick Facts

Ben Sarek Black Currant Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 3a
Height: 2.7 m (9 ft)
Height: 1.1 m (4 ft)
Spread: 2.1 m (7 ft)
Spread: 1.1 m (4 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: any
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: fast
Life span: medium
Life span: short
Growth form: compact, dense, rounded
Spreading: layering - low
Suckering: medium
Maintenance: medium


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


Other Names: tatarian dogwood
Other Names: ben sarek blackcurrant