Firecracker Goji Berry vs American Black Currant - TreeTime.ca

Firecracker Goji Berry vs American Black Currant

Lycium barbarum Firecracker

Ribes americanum

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Firecracker Goji Berry
American Black Currant

The Firecracker Goji Berry is a thornless cultivar of the Goji Berry that is known for its sweet red berries. This deciduous perennial produces purple flowers from June through September, with fruit maturation taking place between August and October. Fruit production typically starts in the second year of growth with maximum production in the fourth and fifth year.

Firecracker Goji Berry berries are delicious, nutrient rich, high in antioxidants, and are often called a super fruit. Many describe the Firecracker as sweeter than other cultivars.

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.

Firecracker Goji Berry Quick Facts

American Black Currant Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 2a
Height: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Height: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Spread: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Spread: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: fast
Life span: short
Life span: medium
Growth form: upright to spreading, thicket-forming
Spreading: seeds - medium
Suckering: none
Maintenance: medium
Maintenance: medium


Foliage: evergreen
Fall colour: gold to red
Flowers: purple
Flowers: small, yellowish bell-shaped, in clusters
Bloom time: spring to early summer
Fruit: edible
Berries: red
Berries: black, edible
Flavor: sweet
Flavor: tart, variable
Harvest: June - 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: goji berry firecracker
Other Names: eastern black currant, wild black currant