Arnold Hawthorn vs Ben Sarek Black Currant - TreeTime.ca

Arnold Hawthorn vs Ben Sarek Black Currant

Ribes nigrum Ben Sarek

Crataegus arnoldiana

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2025)

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Ben Sarek Black Currant
Arnold Hawthorn

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.

Arnold Hawthorn is a low-branched tree favored by wildlife and landscapers. This tree's beautiful white flowers and bright red berries make it an attractive ornamental in anyone's yard. Arnold Hawthorn is also used in windbreaks and riparian planting.

Despite its thorns, Arnold Hawthorn is a popular choice of food and shelter for deer and birds. Humans can also eat these berries fresh or preserved, but Arnold Hawthorn will not have high yields until it matures at 5-8 years.

Ben Sarek Black Currant Quick Facts

Arnold Hawthorn Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 3a
Height: 1.1 m (4 ft)
Height: 5 m (15 ft)
Spread: 1.1 m (4 ft)
Spread: 5 m (15 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: medium
Life span: short
Life span: medium
Growth form: compact, dense, rounded
Spreading: layering - low
Suckering: none
Maintenance: medium


Foliage: aromatic when crushed
Foliage: contains thorns
Fall colour: yellow
Bark: gray to brown
Flowers: greenish-yellow
Flowers: white
Bloom time: early to mid spring
Berries: black currants, edible
Berries: red pomes about 1 cm in diameter
Flavor: sweet-tart
Harvest: mid-summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Other Names: ben sarek blackcurrant