About
An upright blackcurrant bush for culinary or dessert use, to 1.5m in height. Flowers insignificant ,white; produces a sizeable crop of large sweet shiny black fruit, self-fertile, early season.
About the genus
Ribes can be deciduous or evergreen shrubs, sometimes spiny, with simple, usually palmately lobed leaves and small tubular or bell-shaped, solitary or racemose flowers borne in spring or summer, followed by juicy, sometimes edible berries
Growing conditions
SunlightFull sun
Soil typeClay, Loam, Sand
Soil pHNeutral
Soil moistureMoist but well-drained
AspectEast-facing, North-facing, South-facing, West-facing
ExposureSheltered
UK hardinessH6
Plant details
Plant typeFruit Edible, Shrubs
HabitColumnar upright
FoliageDeciduous
Height1-1.5 metres
Spread1-1.5 metres
Time to full height2-5 years
Suggested usesCottage and informal garden, Wildlife gardens
Care notes
CultivationGrow as a stooled bush. Mulch with well rotted manure or compost. Add a general fertilizer and additional nitrogen if necessary, see our Blackcurrant page for more growing tips
PruningRenewal pruning in the dormant season
PropagationPropagate by hardwood cuttings
Pest resistanceMay be susceptible to gall mites, gall midges, aphids and reversion
Disease resistanceMay be susceptible to a leaf spot, powdery mildews, coral spot and sometimes honey fungus