Round Leaf Hawthorn vs Ben Sarek Black Currant - TreeTime.ca

Round Leaf Hawthorn vs Ben Sarek Black Currant

Ribes nigrum Ben Sarek

Crataegus rotundifolia (Crataegus cyclophylla)

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2025)

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2025)

Ben Sarek Black Currant
Round Leaf 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.

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.

Ben Sarek Black Currant Quick Facts

Round Leaf Hawthorn Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 2a
Height: 1.1 m (4 ft)
Height: 3 m (10 ft)
Spread: 1.1 m (4 ft)
Spread: 3 m (10 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: slow
Life span: short
Life span: long
Growth form: compact, dense, rounded
Spreading: layering - low
Suckering: none
Maintenance: medium


Foliage: aromatic when crushed
Foliage: round, serrated
Flowers: greenish-yellow
Flowers: showy white
Bloom time: early to mid spring
Fruit: small red berries
Berries: black currants, edible
Flavor: sweet-tart
Harvest: mid-summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: ON
Other Names: ben sarek blackcurrant