About

Ribes nigrum 'Ben Nevis' is a deciduous shrub known for its robust growth and generous harvest of flavorful fruits, typically ripening between mid and late July. The plants grow tall and vigorous, facilitating easy fruit collection. As self-fertile specimens, they yield fruit without the need for cross-pollination, and they produce small, inconspicuous yellow-green flowers in the spring.

About the genus

Ribes encompasses both deciduous and evergreen shrubs, which may occasionally have spines. The leaves are typically simple and often palmately lobed. In the spring or summer, these plants produce small tubular or bell-shaped flowers, either solitary or arranged in racemes. Following the flowering period, they develop juicy berries, some of which are edible.

Growing conditions

Sunlight

Full sun, Partial shade

Soil type

Clay, Loam, Sand

Soil pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

Soil moisture

Moist but well-drained

Aspect

East-facing, North-facing, South-facing, West-facing

Exposure

Sheltered

UK hardiness

H6

Plant details

Plant type

Fruit Edible, Shrubs

Habit

Bushy

Foliage

Deciduous

Height

1-1.5 metres

Spread

1-1.5 metres

Time to full height

2-5 years

Suggested uses

Cottage and informal garden, Wildlife gardens

Care notes

Cultivation

Blackcurrants prefer a sunny site with well-drained but moisture-retentive soil, but will cope in most other soil conditions and tolerate light shade. Mulch annually with well-rotted manure or compost and apply a general purpose fertiliser in spring. Please see our blackcurrant cultivation page for more growing tips.

Pruning

Prune in winter. Blackcurrants fruit best on younger wood so aim to remove up to one quarter of the oldest stems at ground level to encourage new growth from the base.

Propagation

Propagate by hardwood cuttings

Pest resistance

May be susceptible to aphids, blackcurrant gall midge, pigeons and blackcurrant big bud mite.

Disease resistance

May be susceptible to a leaf spot, powdery mildews, coral spot and sometimes honey fungus