Cornelian Cherry Dogwood vs American Black Currant - TreeTime.ca

Cornelian Cherry Dogwood vs American Black Currant

Cornus mas

Ribes americanum

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Cornelian Cherry Dogwood
American Black Currant

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.

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.

Cornelian Cherry Dogwood Quick Facts

American Black Currant Quick Facts

Zone: 4a
Zone: 2a
Height: 6 m (20 ft)
Height: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Spread: 5 m (15 ft)
Spread: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: slow
Growth rate: fast
Life span: medium
Life span: medium
Growth form: upright to spreading, thicket-forming
Spreading: seeds - medium
Suckering: medium
Maintenance: medium


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


Native to: AB, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB
Other Names: cornelia cherry, cornelia cherry dogwood, cornelian cherry, cornelian cherry dogwood, european cornel
Other Names: eastern black currant, wild black currant