Wild Snowberry vs American Black Currant - TreeTime.ca

Wild Snowberry vs American Black Currant

Symphoricarpos spp.

Ribes americanum

CUSTOM GROW

CUSTOM GROW

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American Black Currant

Wild Snowberry is a mix of Common Snowberry and Western Snowberry. Each shrub's size, flower, and berry colour may vary.

This plant is abundant across the prairies. It can be planted alone or as a hedge in small yards. This shrub's ornamental berries persist into winter. Wild Snowberry can be a natural habitat and food source for various animals.

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.

Wild Snowberry Quick Facts

American Black Currant Quick Facts

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


Fall colour: gold to red
Flowers: white and occasionally pinkish
Flowers: small, yellowish bell-shaped, in clusters
Bloom time: spring to early summer
Berries: showy white berries persist into winter
Berries: black, edible
Flavor: tart, variable
Harvest: mid to late summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB
Native to: AB, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB
Other Names: coralberry, ghostberry, waxberry, wolfberry
Other Names: eastern black currant, wild black currant