Black currant
For a strong, familiar black currant flavour. The large berries suit juice and preserves.
Four currants, different flavours
A guide to currant seeds
Strong black currants, bright red berries, sweet clove currants or a native woodland shrub. Start with the fruit you enjoy, then compare the bushes and the seeds.
Red currant
For bright, tart berries in red clusters. A good choice for jelly, sauces and desserts.
Crandall clove currant
For large, sweet black berries with a milder flavour. The tallest shrub in this group.
American black currant
For a currant native to Manitoba. Musky berries ripen later than European black currants here, and not all at once.
What is different?
These are seed packs. The photos show the parent plants and their fruit. Your seedlings will vary.
| Black currant | Red currant | Crandall clove currant | American black currant | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fruit | Large black berries, generally larger than red currants | Bright red berries, generally smaller than black currants | Large black berries, larger than American black currants | Black berries, smaller than clove currants |
| Flavour | Strong and distinctly musky | Bright, tart and more acidic | Sweet and mild | Musky, closer to clove currant than European black currant |
| Seed parents | European species, collected from Ben series bushes | European species, collected from local Red Lake bushes | The Crandall clove currant selection | Wild Ribes americanum, native to Manitoba |
| Cold stratification | 3 to 4 months | 3 to 4 months | 3 to 4 months | 2 to 3 months |
| Mature height | 3 to 6 ft | 3 to 4 ft | Up to 6 to 7 ft | 4 to 5 ft |
Scroll across to compare all four. The details stay visible on the left.
More about these currants
Black currant
Our black currant seed comes from healthy, productive Ben series bushes grown locally. Their fruit has the strong flavour familiar in black currant juice and preserves. Seedlings share the same species, but are not identical copies of the parent bushes.
Red currant
Our red currant seed comes from local Red Lake bushes planted more than twenty years ago. They remain healthy and productive. Red currants have a brighter, more acidic flavour than black currants. Pink and white currants are generally sweeter than red ones.
Crandall clove currant
Crandall is a clove currant selection with large, sweet black fruit, distinctive lobed leaves and fragrant yellow flowers. The flavour is milder than American black currant. Seedlings vary, including in fruit size, and can become tall bushes.
American black currant
American black currant grows naturally in Manitoba, often near moist woodland, streams and wetland edges. Around our nursery it ripens in early August, later than European black currants. Berries ripen unevenly, so harvesting can take several visits. We find it well adapted to our local climate.