Blackcurrant

Description

Ribes nigrum (3 varieties)

A lovely and well-behaved round shrub with unique scalloped leaves, blackcurrant is also a reliable producer of tart, highly nutritious purple-black berries.

Food uses

A reliable crop of berries ripens every year around July. The berries are high in Vitamin C, potassium and iron, and their flavor is tart and earthy. Real enthusiasts may enjoy them fresh off the bush. More commonly, they’re fantastic for making jam, syrup, and desserts like pie or sorbet. The berries can be dried for tea or baked goods.

Landscape uses

Currant bushes mind their own business. They hold their own in a perennial garden without getting unruly, and don’t need much upkeep or pruning to look good. They can be pruned if desired for maximum yield. Blackcurrants set fruit on this year’s new wood.

Currants produce more berries in full sun, but they’re happy well into the shade due to their woodsy origins. Blackcurrants are the most shade tolerant currant.

Wildlife uses

Blackcurrants flower in late spring, and while the small greenish-yellow flowers aren’t super showy, they’re adored by the usual local pollinators. Some folks report birds enjoying the berries, but we haven’t noticed any competition for our blackcurrants here.