Currants · Seeds compared
Black currants vs red currants
Compare the fruit, seed sources and growing details from our current listings.
200+ seeds$7.95 CAD
View seeds100+ seeds$7.95 CAD
View seedsFrom our listing
Locally collected from productive Ben series bushes. Large black berries with a strong currant flavour, for juice, preserves and fresh use.
From our listing
From established local Red Lake bushes. Bright red berries in clusters, with a tart flavour suited to jelly, sauces and desserts.
Photos and fruit descriptions refer to the seed parents. These are seeds, not cloned plants; seedlings vary.
Side by side
Growing details
| Detail | Black currant | Red currant |
|---|---|---|
| Cold hardiness zone | 2 | 2 |
| Seed source | Manitoba | Manitoba |
| Stratification | 3 to 4 months cold | 3 to 4 months cold |
| Mature size | 3 to 6 ft | 3 to 4 ft |
A closer look
More about each currant
Black currant
Black Currant (Ribes nigrum) seed was collected locally from healthy, heavily producing Ben series cultivar bushes. Seedlings will have natural variation but should retain many traits of the seed parents.
The bushes produce large black fruit about one half inch across. The strongly flavoured berries are high in vitamin C and are used fresh, in juice, and in preserves.
Red currant
Red Currant (Ribes rubrum) is a European shrub cultivated since the seventeenth century. It produces clusters of bright red berries with a tangy tart flavour suited to jam, jelly, sauces, and desserts.
This seed came from Red Lake currant bushes planted locally more than twenty years ago. The old plants remain healthy and productive. Seedlings will vary genetically but should resemble the parent plants.
From the nursery
Keep exploring currants
Seasonal photos and observations, alongside the seeds and plants we grow.
Berry and currant Field Notes →