Spicebush vs Ben Sarek Black Currant - TreeTime.ca

Spicebush vs Ben Sarek Black Currant

Lindera benzoin

Ribes nigrum Ben Sarek

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2025)

Spicebush
Ben Sarek Black Currant

The Spicebush is an unique ornamental shrub that blooms with vibrant yellow flowers and bright green foliage. The foliage goes from green to yellow in the autumn, adding fall interest to your garden.The plant is dioecious, meaning that you will need male and female plants in order to harvest it’s red berries. Berries are only produced on female plants. The berries themselves aren’t that sweet, and are mostly enjoyed by birds and other wildlife.

The Spicebush, also commonly known as Common Spicebush, Northern Spicebush, Wild Allspice, and Benjamin Bush, is named after its distinctive spicy-sweet fragrance that comes from the flowers.

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.

Spicebush Quick Facts

Ben Sarek Black Currant Quick Facts

Zone: 4a
Zone: 3a
Height: 3 m (10 ft)
Height: 1.1 m (4 ft)
Spread: 3 m (10 ft)
Spread: 1.1 m (4 ft)
Light: any
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: slow
Growth rate: fast
Life span: medium
Life span: short
Growth form: compact, dense, rounded
Spreading: layering - low
Suckering: medium
Maintenance: medium


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


Native to: ON
Other Names: benjamin bush, common spicebush, northern spicebush, wild allspice
Other Names: ben sarek blackcurrant