🎨 AI-generated botanical illustration
🌱 Currant (Red / White / Black)
Ribes rubrum / Ribes nigrum
berries
deciduous shrub
☀️ Sun
full sun to partial shade
💧 Water
moderate
🗺️ Zones
[3,4,5,6,7,8]
🧪 Soil pH
6.0-7.0 (red/white); 6.0-6.5 (black)
🪴 Soil Type
well-drained, rich, moisture-retentive
📏 Spacing
3-5 ft
📐 Height
3-5 ft
⏱️ Maturity
1-2 years; full production at 3-4 years
🤝 Companions (3)
🤝 Chives
Deters aphids and mildew; classic fruit bush companion
🤝 Gooseberry
Close relative; identical cultivation; cross-pollination improves both
🤝 Nasturtium
Groundcover; deters currant borers and aphids
⚠️ Keep Apart (1)
⚠️ white pine (within 900 ft in some regions)
Currants are alternate host for white pine blister rust; check local regulations — some states still restrict
📝 Growing Notes
Black currants have an intense, acquired-taste flavor — like concentrated grape with musky undertones. The base of crème de cassis. Banned in parts of the US until 2003 because they host white pine blister rust. Red and white currants are tart jewels — gorgeous on the bush.
🛒 Buy Seeds & Plants
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
Johnny's Selected Seeds
Botanical Interests
True Leaf Market
Burpee
Territorial Seed Company
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