Northern Red Currant vs Falsebox - TreeTime.ca

Northern Red Currant vs Falsebox

Paxistima myrsinites

Ribes triste

CUSTOM GROW

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Falsebox
Northern Red Currant

Falsebox is a hardy, native evergreen shrub found in forests, rocky slopes, and open woodland sites. Though small and easily overlooked among the leaves, the maroon flowers still supply nectar and pollen for pollinators such as native bees and flies. Blooming in spring, they provide an important early-season food source. Its year-round greenery adds visual interest through the winter.

Falsebox is a low-growing shrub that tolerates a wide range of conditions, including drought once established. It thrives particularly well beneath the shade of mature trees, where few other plants succeed. With its resilience and ecological value, Falsebox is well-suited for naturalization, restoration projects, and diverse landscape plantings.

The Northern Red Currant is also known as the Swamp Red currant due to its preference for moist soil. As long as the soil is wet, this shrub can live in any degree of sunlight.

The currant itself is a bright red-purple berry enjoyed by many animals and some people for its sour flavour, similar to garden red currants. The flowers of this shrub are tiny and red or greenish-purple.

Falsebox Quick Facts

Northern Red Currant Quick Facts

Zone: 5a
Zone: 1a
Height: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Height: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Spread: 0.8 m (2.5 ft)
Light: any
Light: any
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: slow
Growth rate: medium
Life span: medium
Life span: short
Growth form: prostrate to spreading
Spreading: layering - medium
Suckering: none


Foliage: evergreen, leathery leaves
Bark: reddish-brown
Flowers: small, maroon-purple, fragrant
Flowers: reddish or greenish purple
Bloom time: summer
Berries: shiny, sour, bright red
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC
Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU, PE
Other Names: false box, mountain boxwood, mountain lover, myrtle boxwood, oregon boxleaf, oregon boxwood
Other Names: swamp red currant