Red Currant

Ribes rubrum

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At a Glance

Red currant is one of the most rewarding soft-fruit shrubs for the UK gardener: hardy, long-lived, heavy-cropping, and far easier to grow than its better-known relative the gooseberry. A single established bush can produce 4–5 kg of jewel-like translucent berries each July, suitable for jam, jelly, cordial and pâtisserie. Native to western Europe, Ribes rubrum thrives in the cool, moist British climate and remains a staple of the allotment and kitchen garden.

Overview

Red currant is a woody, multi-stemmed shrub in the family Grossulariaceae. Native to western Europe — including Britain — it is found wild in hedgerows and along woodland margins, and has been cultivated for its fruit since at least the sixteenth century. The species is fully hardy across the whole of the UK and is widely grown in gardens, allotments and commercial fruit plantations from the Highlands of Scotland to the south coast.

Although too sharp to eat raw in quantity, the berries are prized for cooking. They contain high levels of pectin, making them ideal for set jams and jellies, and they freeze well. Red currants are also used in cordials, fruit liqueurs, classic French bar-le-duc preserves, and the redcurrant sauce served with game and roast duck.

The plant is generally trouble-free and long-lived. A well-tended bush can remain productive for twenty years or more, requiring only winter pruning and basic seasonal care. Because it flowers early in the season, red currant is also a useful nectar source for bees and other early pollinators.

Appearance

Red currant forms an upright to slightly spreading shrub, typically 1–1.5 m tall and a similar spread at maturity. The framework consists of several main stems arising from ground level, with smooth grey-brown bark that becomes slightly rougher with age.

The leaves are alternate, palmate, and deeply lobed, usually divided into three to five toothed leaflets. They are bright, slightly glossy mid-green through the growing season, turning a soft yellow-green in autumn before falling. In early spring the plant carries small, inconspicuous yellowish-green flowers borne in drooping racemes (sometimes called "strigs") that hang from the previous year's wood. Each raceme may carry fifteen to thirty individual flowers.

Red currant is self-fertile and wind-pollinated, so a single bush will crop reliably without a pollination partner, although bees and other early insects visiting the flowers help to set a heavier crop.

The fruit develops through June and ripens from mid-July into August, depending on cultivar and locality. Each berry is a translucent, glossy red globe 7–10 mm in diameter, carried in long, elegant pendant clusters. The skin is thin and the flesh juicy with a balancing acidity and sweetness. Cultivars vary in berry colour from pale pink ('Pink Champagne') through coral to deep crimson ('Red Lake').

Growing Conditions

Red currant is one of the most accommodating fruit shrubs for the British climate. It performs reliably across all four nations, doing particularly well in the cooler, damper regions of the north and west where summer temperatures are moderate.

The plant prefers a sheltered but open position in full sun or light partial shade. Full sun encourages the heaviest crops and the sweetest fruit, though afternoon shade is perfectly acceptable and may be beneficial in hotter southern gardens, where direct midday sun through a south-facing wall can scorch ripening berries. Avoid frost pockets, as although the dormant wood is fully hardy, late spring frosts can damage the opening flowers and reduce the set.

Soil should be moisture-retentive yet well drained. A fertile loam or improved sandy loam is ideal, enriched with well-rotted organic matter before planting. The preferred pH is slightly acidic to neutral, in the range of 6.0–7.0; red currant is intolerant of very alkaline or waterlogged soils, where it becomes prone to chlorosis and root problems.

Although red currant is not currently subject to statutory restrictions in the UK, plants of the broader Ribes genus were once banned in parts of the country because they act as an alternate host for white pine blister rust. Current Defra and Forestry Commission guidance places no restriction on growing red currant in gardens.

Planting and Care

Planting. Container-grown plants can be put in at any time between late autumn and early spring, provided the ground is not frozen or waterlogged. Bare-root stock, generally cheaper and more widely available in autumn, should be planted as soon as possible after lifting. Set each plant to the same depth it was previously growing — usually marked by a soil "tide mark" on the stem — and space bushes 1.2–1.5 m apart. Cordons can be spaced as close as 40 cm. After planting, water in well, mulch generously, and shorten the main stems to roughly 15 cm to encourage a balanced framework of new shoots from the base.

Watering. Consistent moisture is critical during fruit set and swell, broadly from June through August. Drought at this stage causes the berries to drop prematurely and noticeably reduces final size. A deep soak once a week is more beneficial than frequent light sprinklings. Mulching in spring with compost or bark reduces evaporation and suppresses weeds.

Feeding. Apply a balanced general fertiliser such as Growmore at around 70 g per square metre in early spring. Once the flowers open, switch to a high-potash liquid feed (tomato fertiliser is ideal) every two weeks until the harvest is complete. A thick annual mulch of well-rotted farmyard manure or garden compost, applied in late winter, supplies most of the nutrients the plant needs and improves soil structure.

Pruning. Red currant fruits mainly on wood that is two and three years old, with a useful contribution from short spurs on older branches. Pruning is carried out in late autumn or winter when the plant is dormant and the structure is easy to see. Aim to maintain an open-centred bush of roughly eight to ten healthy main stems. Remove any dead, diseased, damaged or crossing wood, cut back the oldest stems to ground level to make room for replacements, and shorten the current season's lateral growth by about a third to encourage the formation of fruiting spurs.

Propagation. Red currant is straightforward to propagate from hardwood cuttings of around 20–30 cm, taken in late autumn from vigorous one-year-old shoots. Insert the cuttings to two-thirds of their length in a prepared trench in a sheltered corner of the garden; most will root and be ready to lift in twelve months. Simple layering of a low branch in spring is equally reliable.

Seasonal care. In late winter, top-dress with compost and check the structure of the bush. Netting should be in place before the berries colour, typically by late June, to keep birds off. After harvest, remove any weak or exhausted stems and water the plant thoroughly if the ground is dry.

Common Problems

Birds are by far the most damaging pest for UK growers. Blackbirds, thrushes and sparrows will strip a bush within hours once the berries begin to colour. The only reliable protection is a fruit cage, or fine mesh netting draped over a temporary frame so that it sits clear of the foliage.

Currant leaf spot (Pseudopeziza ribis) causes brown or buff blotches on the upper leaf surface, leading to premature defoliation and reduced vigour. Rake up and destroy fallen leaves, prune to open up the bush, and avoid overhead watering.

Powdery mildew (Sphaerotheca mors-uvae) appears as a white, dusty coating on leaves, shoots and sometimes the fruit. It is worst in humid, still summers. Choose resistant cultivars, improve airflow around the bush, and avoid wetting the foliage when watering.

Gooseberry sawfly (Nematus ribesii) is the most destructive insect pest. The pale green, black-spotted larvae can defoliate a plant within days in late spring. Inspect the undersides of leaves from mid-April onwards and pick off any caterpillars found; severe infestations respond to a contact insecticide based on pyrethrum.

Aphids, particularly the currant-sowthistle aphid (Hyperomyzus lactucae), cause leaf curling in spring and may transmit viral diseases. Encourage natural predators such as ladybirds and hoverflies, or treat with insecticidal soap.

Big bud mite (Cecidophyopsis ribis) causes a few buds to swell abnormally in late winter and fail to open. The mite also vectors reversion virus, which is incurable. Pick off and destroy any affected buds; badly affected bushes should be grubbed and replaced.

Glasshouse red spider mite (Panonychus ulmi) is occasionally troublesome on red currant grown against warm walls or under cover, causing fine bronzing on the leaves. Increase humidity around the plant and spray forcefully with water to dislodge mites; predatory mites can be introduced under glass.

Popular Varieties

'Red Lake' is the most widely grown red currant in the UK. Vigorous, heavy-cropping, and reliable in all regions, it produces long trusses of large, deep red berries in mid-July. It holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit.

'Jonkheer van Tets' is an early-ripening Dutch cultivar, ready from late June in the south. The berries are large and well flavoured, and the bush has an upright habit suited to cordons. Also an AGM holder.

'Stanza' is a late-season variety, cropping well into August when other cultivars have finished. It is mildew-resistant and particularly useful for extending the harvest season.

'Rovada' carries exceptionally long trusses of medium-sized berries and is favoured for exhibition and jam-making. The fruit keeps well on the bush.

'Pink Champagne' is not, strictly, a red currant at all but a closely related pink-fruited form sometimes classified as Ribes rubrum 'Gloire des Sablons'. The berries are sweet enough to eat fresh from the bush. It carries the AGM.

Pests and Diseases

For step-by-step help, read Controlling Aphids Naturally and Treating Powdery Mildew. Or browse the full plant problem solver to diagnose an issue by symptom.