Currant seeds · Seeds compared
European vs American black currant seeds
Compare cultivated black currant seed parents with a locally collected native species.
200+ seeds$7.95 CAD
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View seedsFrom our listing
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.
From our listing
Wild American Black Currant (Ribes americanum) is a native berry shrub with fruit that ripens around Oak Summit Nursery in early August. Its flavour is distinct from cultivated black currants, and the berries also feed birds and small mammals.
Photos and fruit descriptions refer to the seed parents. These are seeds, not cloned plants; seedlings vary.
Side by side
Growing details
| Detail | European Black Currant | Wild American Black Currant |
|---|---|---|
| Ripening (seed parent) | Earlier than American black currants here | Later than European black currants here; berries ripen unevenly |
| Cold hardiness zone | 2 | 2 |
| Seed source | Manitoba | Manitoba |
| Stratification | 3 to 4 months cold | 2 to 3 months cold |
| Mature size | 3 to 6 ft | 4 to 5 ft |
| Native status | European species; not native to Manitoba | Native to Manitoba |
| Flavour | Strong, familiar black currant flavour | Musky; closer to clove currant than European black currant |
| Drought tolerance | Less drought resistant than American black currant in our experience | More drought resistant in our experience |
A closer look
More about each choice
European 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.
Wild American Black Currant
Wild American Black Currant (Ribes americanum) is a native berry shrub with fruit that ripens around Oak Summit Nursery in early August. Its flavour is distinct from cultivated black currants, and the berries also feed birds and small mammals.
This seed was collected locally in Manitoba. The shrubs have lobed leaves and yellow green spring flowers and often grow near wetlands, streams, and woodland edges.
From the nursery
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Seasonal photos and observations, alongside the seeds and plants we grow.
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