Northern Bush Honeysuckle vs American Black Currant - TreeTime.ca

Northern Bush Honeysuckle vs American Black Currant

Diervilla lonicera

Ribes americanum

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

CUSTOM GROW

Northern Bush Honeysuckle
American Black Currant

The Northern Bush Honeysuckle is a small, dense, deciduous shrub. The trumpet-like yellow flowers bloom late spring to early summer. Dark green leaves turn yellow then red in the fall. The flower nectar has a sweet honey taste that can be sucked out of the flower.

Because of its aggressive suckering habit, the Northern Bush Honeysuckle makes a great hedge, shrub border, or thicket in a woodland garden.

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.

Northern Bush Honeysuckle Quick Facts

American Black Currant Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 2a
Height: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Height: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Light: shade, partial shade
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: very fast
Growth rate: fast
Life span: short
Life span: medium
Growth form: upright to spreading, thicket-forming
Spreading: seeds - medium
Suckering: high
Maintenance: medium


Fall colour: gold to red
Flowers: yellow 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: SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, PE
Native to: AB, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB
Other Names: low bush honeysuckle
Other Names: eastern black currant, wild black currant