Alpine Currant vs Ben Sarek Black Currant - TreeTime.ca

Alpine Currant vs Ben Sarek Black Currant

Ribes alpinum

Ribes nigrum Ben Sarek

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2025)

Alpine Currant
Ben Sarek 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.

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.

Alpine Currant Quick Facts

Ben Sarek Black Currant Quick Facts

Zone: 2a
Zone: 3a
Height: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Height: 1.1 m (4 ft)
Spread: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Spread: 1.1 m (4 ft)
Light: any
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: fast
Life span: medium
Life span: short
Growth form: compact, dense, rounded
Spreading: layering - low
Suckering: low
Maintenance: medium


Foliage: glossy green
Foliage: aromatic when crushed
Flowers: greenish yellow and fragrant
Flowers: greenish-yellow
Bloom time: early to mid spring
Berries: small, bright red
Berries: black currants, edible
Flavor: sweet-tart
Harvest: mid-summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Other Names: mountain currant
Other Names: ben sarek blackcurrant