Round Leaf Hawthorn vs American Black Currant - TreeTime.ca

Round Leaf Hawthorn vs American Black Currant

Ribes americanum

Crataegus rotundifolia (Crataegus cyclophylla)

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2025)

American Black Currant
Round Leaf Hawthorn

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.

Getting its name from rounded, toothed leaves, the Round Leaf Hawthorn is a winter hardy shrub that grows small, red, berry-like fruits.

Commonly used for landscaping, this shrub can also be found along stream banks and in wooded areas. Caution is advised when handling the Round Leaf Hawthorn, as it can have sharp thorns approximately 1" long.

American Black Currant Quick Facts

Round Leaf Hawthorn Quick Facts

Zone: 2a
Zone: 2a
Height: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Height: 3 m (10 ft)
Spread: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Spread: 3 m (10 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: slow
Life span: medium
Life span: long
Growth form: upright to spreading, thicket-forming
Spreading: seeds - medium
Suckering: none
Maintenance: medium


Foliage: round, serrated
Fall colour: gold to red
Flowers: small, yellowish bell-shaped, in clusters
Flowers: showy white
Bloom time: spring to early summer
Fruit: small red berries
Berries: black, edible
Flavor: tart, variable
Harvest: mid to late summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB
Native to: ON
Other Names: eastern black currant, wild black currant