Ranch Elderberry vs Ben Sarek Black Currant - TreeTime.ca

Ranch Elderberry vs Ben Sarek Black Currant

Sambucus canadensis Ranch

Ribes nigrum Ben Sarek

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2025)

Ranch Elderberry
Ben Sarek Black Currant

Ranch Elderberry is a vigorous and high-yielding Black Elderberry cultivar. It ripens earlier than other varieties and is smaller and more compact making berry harvest easier. The berries are well-suited for baked goods, jams, jellies, and syrups. They are high in vitamin C and reported to be beneficial for the immune system.

Black Elderberries are considered to be partially self-pollinating. So while they will still produce some berries without cross-pollination, planting with another variety will increase yields. Consider planting with Black Elderberry or Bob Gordon Elderberry.

Warning: the seeds, stems, leaves, roots, and uncooked berries are toxic to humans when eaten in quantity. Berries should be cooked to make them safe for human consumption.

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.

Ranch Elderberry Quick Facts

Ben Sarek Black Currant Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 3a
Height: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Height: 1.1 m (4 ft)
Spread: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Spread: 1.1 m (4 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: fast
Life span: short
Life span: short
Growth form: compact, dense, rounded
Spreading: layering - low
Suckering: medium
Maintenance: medium

Toxicity: leaves, stems, and uncooked berries are poisonous to humans

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


Other Names: american elderberry ranch, american ranch elderberry, ranch american elderberry
Other Names: ben sarek blackcurrant