Side by side
Flowering currant or blackcurrant? How to tell them apart
Ribes sanguineum · Ribes nigrum
How to tell them apart – flowering currant: thornless shrub that is hung with clusters of pink to red flowers in April, the leaves have a pungent smell; blackcurrant: greenish flowers and large, black, strongly scented berries.
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How do you recognise them?
- Flowering currant
- Thornless shrub that is hung with clusters of pink to red flowers in April; the leaves have a pungent smell.
- Blackcurrant
- Spineless currant bush whose leaves and twigs smell strongly; black berries in strings.
- Compared with flowering currant: greenish flowers and large, black, strongly scented berries.
| Flowering currant | Blackcurrant | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Alternate, 4–10 cm, round with 3–5 lobes, irregularly toothed, somewhat wrinkled and felted underneath; pungent and spicy when crushed. | Alternate, 3–5-lobed, toothed, 5–10 cm; yellow glands underneath that smell strongly when crushed. |
| Flowering | Hanging to spreading clusters of pink, red or white flowers in April, together with the leaves (March–May). | Hanging strings of small greenish-red flowers in April (April–May). |
| Fruit | Bluish-black berries with a waxy bloom; edible, but insipid. | Black berries (blackcurrants) in July. |
| Bark | Brown twigs without prickles. | Light brown and smooth. |
| Shape and height | Shrub, 1.5–2.5 m | Shrub, 1–2 m |
| Site | Sun or partial shade, any garden soil, normal | Sun or partial shade, any garden soil, moist to wet |
| Native to Belgium | No, planted | Yes |
| Good for bees, butterflies and birds | – | Yes, for bees and birds |
| Poisonous to people and pets | Not known to be poisonous | Not known to be poisonous |
| Pruning months | April–May | August and November–February |
What does it mean for your garden?
- Blackcurrant is native: it feeds more insects and birds than a non-native species. If in doubt, choose this one.
Read on
- Plant profile: Flowering currant
- Plant profile: Blackcurrant
- Flowering currant: when and how to prune
- Blackcurrant: when and how to prune
- Identification key
Also looks like
Identify by feature
This comparison is compiled from the Bladwijzer species pages.