Redcurrant

Description

Ribes rubrum ‘Rovada’

A lovely and well-behaved, slightly shaggy, rounded shrub with unique scalloped leaves, redcurrant is also a reliable producer of tart-sweet, garnet-red berries.

The variety we offer, ‘Rovada,’ is a Dutch breed considered among the best and highest-producing varieties with large berries for a redcurrant borne on long clusters, and good disease resistance. It is 3-5 ft. tall x wide.

Food uses

A reliable crop of berries ripens every year around July. The berries aren’t quite as  high in nutrients as superstar blackcurrants, but they’re still high in Vitamin C, potassium and iron. Redcurrants have a tart flavor that sweetens as they ripen, and are more enjoyable fresh off the bush than blackcurrants. Fantastic for making jam, syrup, and desserts like pie or sorbet. The berries can also be dried.

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 remain healthy and look good in the landscape. They can be pruned if desired for maximum yield. Redcurrants set fruit on previous years’ old wood.

Redcurrants ripen earlier and are sweeter in full sun, but they can be happy in partial shade as well.

Wildlife uses

Redcurrants flower in late spring, and while the small greenish-yellow flowers aren’t super showy, they’re adored by the usual local pollinators. Birds like robins and jays, and even small mammals love the ripe berries: depending on the bird community in your location, you may need to net them if you intend these only for human harvest. Consider planting some extras for the birds, who need lots of help as wildlife populations plummet worldwide.