Korean Boxwood vs Bristly Black Currant - TreeTime.ca

Korean Boxwood vs Bristly Black Currant

Buxus microphylla Koreana

Ribes lacustre

CUSTOM GROW

CUSTOM GROW

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Bristly Black Currant

Korean Boxwood is a vibrant evergreen shrub. A top choice for colder climates, this shrub will look stunning lining a driveway or as a foundation plant.

Easy to root in and maintain, Korean Boxwood's thick foliage is deer resistant and turns an attractive yellow-brown to purplish in winter. Consider applying mulch around the base to keep the roots moist and cool.

Bristly Black Currant is a native deciduous shrub that grows in moist forests, swamps, and riparian areas. In summer, it produces clusters of dark purple to black berries that provide food for wildlife, while its reddish-purple flowers attract pollinators. The berries are technically edible and enjoyed by some, but many find them unpleasant and bitter.

Thriving in moist soils and shaded locations, Bristly Black Currant helps stabilize soil and supports diverse habitats. It is valuable for conservation plantings, wetland restoration, riparian buffers, and naturalization projects.

Note: When crushed, the berries are known to release an offensive odour.

Korean Boxwood Quick Facts

Bristly Black Currant Quick Facts

Zone: 4a
Zone: 3a
Height: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Height: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Spread: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: slow
Growth rate: medium
Life span: medium
Life span: medium
Growth form: upright to spreading, thicket-forming
Spreading: seeds - medium, layering - low
Suckering: none
Maintenance: medium


Toxicity: prickles may cause an allergic reaction
Foliage: evergreen
Fall colour: yellow-brown to purple
Bark: reddish brown with prickles
Flowers: small maroon-green clusters
Bloom time: spring to early summer
Berries: dark purple with hairs, edible
Flavor: tart, unpleasant
Harvest: mid to late summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, PE
Other Names: black gooseberry, black swamp gooseberry, bristly black gooseberry, bristly currant, bristly swamp currant, prickly currant