Royal Purple Smokebush vs American Black Currant - TreeTime.ca

Royal Purple Smokebush vs American Black Currant

Cotinus coggygria Royal Purple

Ribes americanum

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Royal Purple Smokebush
American Black Currant

Royal Purple Smokebush is an attractive and dramatic shrub. Mid-summer you'll notice feathery, purple-pink puffs of airy seed clusters that give the illusion of smoke. The contrast of these seed clusters against deep purple-red foliage will make Royal Purple Smokebush your new favorite shrub.

It is tolerant of clay soil, drought, and deer, making Royal Purple Smokebush a hardy addition to any yard. Try it in a hedge, shrub border, or as an accent shrub; regardless of how you use it, this shrub will be a head turner.

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.

Royal Purple Smokebush Quick Facts

American Black Currant Quick Facts

Zone: 4a
Zone: 2a
Height: 3 m (10 ft)
Height: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Spread: 5 m (15 ft)
Spread: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: dry, 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


Fall colour: Purple and scarlet red
Fall colour: gold to red
Flowers: small, yellowish bell-shaped, in clusters
Bloom time: spring to early summer
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: eastern black currant, wild black currant