Trader Mulberry vs American Black Currant - TreeTime.ca

Trader Mulberry vs American Black Currant

Morus x Trader

Ribes americanum

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

no image
American Black Currant

The Trader Mulberry is a rare find. Named for the Trader family who brought the mulberry from Germany when they immigrated to the U.S. in 1982 and planted the original tree at their new homestead in North Dakota. This tree still bears fruit today! Similar to the Illinois Everbearing, but more winter hardy, this mulberry is a cross between white and red mulberry trees. This vigourous tree will produce large, sweet-tasting, virtually-seedless, black fruit throughout the entire summer and is great for fresh eating, jams, and wine. Do not plant near walkways or driveways as the berries can stain.

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.

Trader Mulberry Quick Facts

American Black Currant Quick Facts

Zone: 3b
Zone: 2a
Height: 15 m (50 ft)
Height: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Spread: 9 m (30 ft)
Spread: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: fast
Life span: long
Life span: medium
Growth form: upright to spreading, thicket-forming
Spreading: seeds - medium
Suckering: none
Maintenance: medium
Maintenance: medium


Fall colour: gold to red
Flowers: small, yellowish bell-shaped, in clusters
Bloom time: spring to early summer
Berries: black seedless, large
Berries: black, edible
Flavor: sweet
Flavor: tart, variable
Harvest: Early July - Early September
Harvest: mid to late summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB
Other Names: mulberry, red mulberry
Other Names: eastern black currant, wild black currant