Northern Gooseberry vs Ben Sarek Black Currant - TreeTime.ca

Northern Gooseberry vs Ben Sarek Black Currant

Ribes nigrum Ben Sarek

Ribes oxyacanthoides

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Ben Sarek Black Currant
Northern Gooseberry

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.

Northern Gooseberry is a small, ornamental quality native shrub with prickly stems. You can plant it anywhere you'd plant Prickly Rose or Common Wild Rose, such as your yard.

Most people find Northern Gooseberry berries a bit tart for significant fresh eating but they are good for baking, wine or jam.

Ben Sarek Black Currant Quick Facts

Northern Gooseberry Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 1a
Height: 1.1 m (4 ft)
Height: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 1.1 m (4 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: any
Moisture: normal
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: fast
Life span: short
Life span: short
Growth form: compact, dense, rounded
Spreading: layering - low
Suckering: none
Maintenance: medium


Foliage: aromatic when crushed
Flowers: greenish-yellow
Bloom time: early to mid spring
Berries: black currants, edible
Berries: purple or purplish black
Flavor: sweet-tart
Harvest: mid-summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NL, YT, NT
Other Names: ben sarek blackcurrant
Other Names: canada gooseberry, canadian gooseberry