Alpine Currant vs American Black Currant - TreeTime.ca

Alpine Currant vs American Black Currant

Ribes alpinum

Ribes americanum

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Alpine Currant
American Black Currant

Alpine Currant is a great shrub to plant along sidewalks, near building or at your property boundary as a hedge or accent species. It is widely used by commercial landscapers in parking lots and near buildings because of its hardiness, attractiveness, and pollution tolerance.

While Alpine Currant produces edible berries, they are not palatable.

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.

Alpine Currant Quick Facts

American Black Currant Quick Facts

Zone: 2a
Zone: 2a
Height: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Height: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Spread: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Spread: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Light: any
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: fast
Life span: medium
Life span: medium
Growth form: upright to spreading, thicket-forming
Spreading: seeds - medium
Suckering: low
Maintenance: medium


Foliage: glossy green
Fall colour: gold to red
Flowers: greenish yellow and fragrant
Flowers: small, yellowish bell-shaped, in clusters
Bloom time: spring to early summer
Berries: small, bright red
Berries: black, edible
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: mountain currant
Other Names: eastern black currant, wild black currant