Wild Snowberry vs Ben Sarek Black Currant - TreeTime.ca

Wild Snowberry vs Ben Sarek Black Currant

Ribes nigrum Ben Sarek

Symphoricarpos spp.

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Ben Sarek Black Currant
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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.

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.

Ben Sarek Black Currant Quick Facts

Wild Snowberry Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 3a
Height: 1.1 m (4 ft)
Height: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 1.1 m (4 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: medium
Life span: short
Life span: medium
Growth form: compact, dense, rounded
Spreading: layering - low
Suckering: medium
Maintenance: medium


Foliage: aromatic when crushed
Flowers: greenish-yellow
Flowers: white and occasionally pinkish
Bloom time: early to mid spring
Berries: black currants, edible
Berries: showy white berries persist into winter
Flavor: sweet-tart
Harvest: mid-summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB
Other Names: ben sarek blackcurrant
Other Names: coralberry, ghostberry, waxberry, wolfberry