Creeping Oregon Grape vs Ben Sarek Black Currant - TreeTime.ca

Creeping Oregon Grape vs Ben Sarek Black Currant

Ribes nigrum Ben Sarek

Mahonia repens

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2025)

CUSTOM GROW

Ben Sarek Black Currant
Creeping Oregon Grape

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.

Creeping Oregon Grape is an excellent ground cover plant with attractive, dark green, holly-like leaves. It maintains its leaves throughout winter, which turn mauve, rose, and rust-colored. Clusters of bright, yellow flowers develop into dark, blue-purple edible berries ideal for juice or wine.

Ben Sarek Black Currant Quick Facts

Creeping Oregon Grape Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 5a
Height: 1.1 m (4 ft)
Height: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Spread: 1.1 m (4 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal
Moisture: dry, normal
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: slow
Life span: short
Life span: long
Growth form: compact, dense, rounded
Spreading: layering - low
Suckering: medium
Maintenance: medium
Maintenance: medium


Foliage: aromatic when crushed
Fall colour: purple and bronze
Flowers: greenish-yellow
Flowers: yellow
Bloom time: early to mid spring
Fruit: large blue/purple
Berries: black currants, edible
Flavor: sweet-tart
Harvest: mid-summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC
Other Names: ben sarek blackcurrant
Other Names: ash barberry, creeping barberry, creeping holly grape, creeping mahonia, creeping oregon-grape, creeping western barberry, holly grape, mountain holly, oregon barberry