Cornelian Cherry Dogwood vs Northern Black Currant - TreeTime.ca

Cornelian Cherry Dogwood vs Northern Black Currant

Ribes hudsonianum

Cornus mas

CUSTOM GROW

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Northern Black Currant
Cornelian Cherry Dogwood

Northern Black Currant is a native deciduous shrub found across Canada and the northern United States. Dark purple to black berries that ripen in summer and provide food for wildlife and humans. Fragrant yellow-green flowers that attract a wide variety of pollinators.

This shrub is well adapted to moist soils and can even survive periods of flooding. It has an interesting bronze colour in fall.

Cornelian Cherry Dogwood is an ornamental plant with a variety of uses as it can be grown as a shrub, small tree, hedge, or privacy screen. The bright yellow flowers grow in clusters and bloom in late winter to early spring, providing an early food source for pollinators. They are visually striking as the flowers bloom before the leaves appear and last for several weeks.

Red, cherry-like fruits are produced in midsummer. They are edible but are better suited for preserves and syrups as the taste is fairly sour and astringent, similar to that of sour cherries and cranberries.

The Cornelian Cherry Dogwood was the winner of the Gold Medal Award from The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society as well as the Cary Award for having superior landscape appeal and for being winter hardy and pest resistant.

Northern Black Currant Quick Facts

Cornelian Cherry Dogwood Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 4a
Height: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Height: 6 m (20 ft)
Spread: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Spread: 5 m (15 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: slow
Life span: medium
Life span: medium
Growth form: upright to prostrate, thicket-forming
Spreading: seeds - low, layering - low
Suckering: medium
Maintenance: medium


Flowers: small white, in clusters
Flowers: yellow
Bloom time: spring to early summer
Berries: black, edible
Berries: red
Flavor: bitter
Flavor: sour
Harvest: mid to late summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, YT, NT
Other Names: hudson bay currant, stinking currant, western black currant, wild black currant
Other Names: cornelia cherry, cornelia cherry dogwood, cornelian cherry, cornelian cherry dogwood, european cornel