Black Elderberry vs Northern Gooseberry - TreeTime.ca

Black Elderberry vs Northern Gooseberry

Ribes oxyacanthoides

Sambucus canadensis

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Northern Gooseberry
Black Elderberry

Northern Gooseberry is a small, ornamental quality native shrub with prickly stems. You can plant it anywhere you'd plant Prickly Rose or Common Wild Rose, such as your yard.

Most people find Northern Gooseberry berries a bit tart for significant fresh eating but they are good for baking, wine or jam.

Black Elderberry is a deciduous shrub native to eastern North America. You can plant this shrub in moist areas and it will help stabilize your soil. You can also use it on rural properties anywhere you'd use a lilac.

Black Elderberries are considered to be partially self-pollinating. So while they will still produce some berries without cross-pollination, planting with another variety will increase yields. Consider planting with Ranch Elderberry or Bob Gordon Elderberry.

Warning: the seeds, stems, leaves, roots, and uncooked berries of the Black Elderberry are poisonous to humans when eaten in quantity. You should cook the berries to make them safe for human consumption.

Northern Gooseberry Quick Facts

Black Elderberry Quick Facts

Zone: 1a
Zone: 3a
Height: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Height: 3 m (10 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 2.4 m (8 ft)
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: normal, wet
Light: any
Light: any
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no
Berries: purple or purplish black
Berries: black
Flowers: fragrant, white and showy
Bark: gray brownish with rigid bumps
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: medium
Life span: short
Life span: short
Suckering: none
Suckering: medium




Toxicity: leaves, stems, and uncooked berries are poisonous to humans
Other Names: canada gooseberry, canadian gooseberry
Other Names: american black elderberry, american elderberry, canada elderberry, common elderberry