Russian White Mulberry vs American Black Currant - TreeTime.ca

Russian White Mulberry vs American Black Currant

Morus alba tatarica

Ribes americanum

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Russian White Mulberry
American Black Currant

Russian White Mulberry is a cold hardy and adaptable tree. It is a great choice for the impatient gardener as it reaches its mature height in a short period of time and has an attractive, dense, and rounded form.

Odd looking berries are produced among a backdrop of glossy, deep green foliage. The blackberry-esque berries ripen slowly over the season, ranging in color from white, pink, and purple-violet. While the berries are not well regarded for fresh eating, they have made tasty jams and preserves.

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.

Russian White Mulberry Quick Facts

American Black Currant Quick Facts

Zone: 4a
Zone: 2a
Height: 9 m (30 ft)
Height: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Spread: 9 m (30 ft)
Spread: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: any
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: fast
Life span: long
Life span: medium
Growth form: upright to spreading, thicket-forming
Spreading: seeds - medium
Suckering: none
Maintenance: medium
Maintenance: medium


Fall colour: gold to red
Flowers: white
Flowers: small, yellowish bell-shaped, in clusters
Bloom time: spring to early summer
Berries: white, tart, nutritious and sweet
Berries: black, edible
Flavor: light sweet taste
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
Other Names: eastern black currant, wild black currant