Wilder Red Currant (Each)

• Latin Name: Ribes sativum
• Zones: 3-8
• Harvest: July
• Fruit: Large clusters of dark red, medium-sized berries
• Facts of note: Berries are slightly smaller and earlier ripening than Red Lake. Attractive 4' - 6' tall plant and 2' - 5' wide with dense foliage and drooping flower clusters. Vigorous, very hardy, and productive cultivar with high yield. Excellent for jelly. Fruit ripens over a long bearing time, making it ideal for home gardens. Plant no less than 2.5' apart.

Currants are easy to grow and ready to harvest in early to mid-summer. Long-lived and very winter hardy, they are intolerant of summer heat. Currants are cooperative berries to train as an espalier along a fence.

Currants prefer full sun in cooler, humid areas with plenty of summer rain such as the Pacific Northwest and upper Midwest. In hotter areas they will do better in part shade. Protect blooms from late spring frost damage. Need at least 120-140 frost-free growing days. Tolerate a wide range of soils, but require good drainage and prefer a pH between 5.5 and 7.0.