Grouseberry vs Ben Sarek Black Currant - TreeTime.ca

Grouseberry vs Ben Sarek Black Currant

Ribes nigrum Ben Sarek

Vaccinium scoparium

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CUSTOM GROW

Ben Sarek Black Currant
Grouseberry

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.

Grouseberry is a native, low-growing deciduous shrub known for its edible red berries. In early summer, it produces small, urn-shaped flowers ranging from white to pink that attract bees and other pollinators. The berries provide an important food source for many types of wildlife, including game birds such as grouse, which gives the plant its common name. People can also enjoy the berries fresh or in baked goods, though they can be difficult to harvest in large quantities.

Spreading by rhizomes, Grouseberry forms dense, broom-like mats that help stabilize soil and prevent erosion, while also providing cover for ground-nesting wildlife. It is commonly found beneath conifers in open forests, subalpine meadows, and occasionally on rocky slopes in mountainous regions. It is well-suited for naturalization, ecological restoration, and soil stabilization projects.

Ben Sarek Black Currant Quick Facts

Grouseberry Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 2a
Height: 1.1 m (4 ft)
Height: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Spread: 1.1 m (4 ft)
Spread: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: shade, partial shade
Moisture: normal
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: slow
Life span: short
Life span: medium
Growth form: compact, dense, rounded
Growth form: low growing, colony-forming
Spreading: layering - low
Spreading: rhizomes - medium
Maintenance: medium
Maintenance: medium


Foliage: aromatic when crushed
Fall colour: reddish
Flowers: greenish-yellow
Flowers: small pink, bell-shaped
Bloom time: early to mid spring
Bloom time: spring
Berries: black currants, edible
Berries: small, bright red, edible
Flavor: sweet-tart
Flavor: tart
Harvest: mid-summer
Harvest: summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC
Other Names: ben sarek blackcurrant
Other Names: dwarf red whortleberry, grouse whortleberry, little-leaved huckleberry, red alpine blueberry, small-leaved huckleberry