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Ra Re Rh Ro Ru

Red currant

Red currant, a deciduous shrub that blooms early in spring with numerous pink flower clusters on the still bare wood.

Also known as:
Flowering currant
Redflower currant

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Recognize red current 'King Edward VII'
Red currant 'King Edward VII', photo: Wouter Hagens - Public Domain
  • Red currant is not poisonous; however, the berries are used in jams. In America, the berries, fresh or dried, are eaten.

Red currant – (Ribes sanguineum), deciduous shrub that blooms early in spring with numerous pendent clusters of pink, tubular flowers on the still bare wood. Red currant ‘King Edward VII’ is a well-known red currant in Great Britain and Ireland. Red currants are native to regions along the west coast of America.
Red currants can grow into bushes two and a half meter tall. Tolerates light pruning (after flowering). During flowering, red currants emit a distinctive odor; especially noticeable after a rain shower.
Plant it in a sunny spot, although it is best to tolerate some shade as well. The shrub likes well-drained soil. Watering in times of drought is necessary. An annual scoop of manure and compost will keep the shrub healthy.
Red currants are heavily visited by bumblebees and bees during flowering for nectar.

Bugs

Deformed leaf: aphids.

Fungi & diseases

Currant and gooseberry leaf spot (Drepanopeziza ribis), Photo: Jerzy Opiola – CC BY-SA 4.0

Brown spots on the leaf after which leaves fall off prematurely: Currant and gooseberry leaf spot (Drepanopeziza ribis).

Other

Shrub grows very slowly, blooms moderately, leaves remain small, leaves fall off quickly: poor drainage, causing the ribes to stand with their roots in the water.