Start growing
Prefers cool climates and partial shade in hot areas. Needs moist, rich soil.
GROW SOMETHING WONDERFUL
Currant
Ribes rubrum
Your guide to planting, growing, and getting to know this plant.
THE PLANT NOTEBOOK
Currant care, from seed onward.
- Botanical name
- Ribes rubrum
- Common names
- Red Currant, White Currant
- Family
- Grossulariaceae
- Genus
- Ribes
- Species
- R. rubrum
Growing with your kit
The Seeds In A Cup® methodology involves multi-year pruning lessons for these fruit-bearing shrubs.
Propagation
By hardwood cuttings or seeds.
Seasonal growth & harvest
Produces fruit in mid-summer on wood that is 2-3 years old.
Growing conditions
Damp woodland edges and riverbanks.
Weather & tolerances
Extremely cold hardy; sensitive to extreme heat.
Pests & plant health
Currant aphid and Powdery mildew. (Historical host for White Pine Blister Rust).
Plant safety
Safe for consumption.
Botanical features
A deciduous shrub with lobed leaves and clusters of translucent, shiny red or white berries.
Varieties
‘Red Lake’, ‘Pink Champagne’.
Garden & everyday uses
Jellies, syrups, and traditional British summer puddings
Native range & distribution
Native to Europe and parts of Asia.
Conservation
Secure.
Name origins
Named for the resemblance to small raisins of Corinth (raisins-currant).
History
Cultivation was banned in some US states for decades to protect the timber industry from White Pine Blister Rust.