Ribes nigrum is a member of the Saxifragaceae (saxifrage) family

The European black currant (Ribes nigrum) is a deciduous shrub, native to northern Europe and north and central Asia, with stiff, upright branches growing five or six feet high. Flowers are borne on one-year-old wood and on tiny spurs on wood two-years-old, or older. The flowers open early in the season but are relatively inconspicuous. Most European black currants do not need cross-pollination, though in a few cultivars (such as 'Coronet' and 'Crusader'), the flower structure prevents ready self-pollination. With these latter cultivars, therefore, yields are increased by cross-pollination. Black currant fruits are born in strigs, or chains, much like those of the red currant, except shorter. Fruit size averages about three-eights of an inch in diameter.

Two other black currant species that have occasionally been cultivated for their fruits are the clove currant (R. odoratum) and the American black currant (R. americanum). Around the turn of the century, clones were selected with superior fruit, but neither species is widely grown today.

European black currant cultivars do not exhibit a wide range of attributes in either plant or fruit, in part because so many cultivars have similar ancestry, i.e. the cultivars 'Baldwin' and/or 'Boskoop'. More recently, other species have been used in breeding: R. bracteosum has been used to develop hybrids with longer strigs of berries ('Jet' is one such cultivar); R. nigrum sibirica and R. dikuscha have infused their offspring with disease resistance and cold-hardiness; and R. ussuriense has been used to develop plants resistant to white pine blister rust (the cultivar 'Consort', for example).

Black currants - any currants, for that matter - are unrelated to the small raisins sold commercially as "dried currants" or "black currants." These raisins are called "currants" because they are made from 'Black Corinth' grapes, a small grape that has been dried and shipped for centuries from the Greek port of that name.

Use. Among northern Europeans, black currant is a popular fruit both for its flavor and for its extremely high concentration of vitamin C. The plant is little known in America. European black currant is an alternate host for white pine blister rust, so the plant was banned by federal law over much of the country in the 1920s to preserve the white pines. The federal ban was lifted in 1966, rust-resistant cultivars were developed, and there is now renewed American interest in this fruit.

The European black currant has a strong flavor, and those people who enjoy the flavor eat the berries "out of hand." The best cultivars for fresh eating are those such as 'Blackdown', 'Brodtorp', 'Goliath', and 'Silvergieters', which have mild and sweet fruits. Even people who do not like the fresh flavor enjoy black currant juice, jams, tarts, and wines. In the Bordeaux region of France, black currant is made into a liqueur called cassis.

Pick black currants while they are dry and still firm, taking the whole strig unless the fruit is to be used immediately. For fresh eating, make sure the berries are fully ripe.

Climatic requirements. Black currants will tolerate cold winters (minus 25 degrees Fahrenheit or lower, depending on cultivar), but not extremely hot summers, especially those that are also extremely dry.

Cultural pratices. Black currants thrive in cool, well-drained, fertile soils. In warmer regions, bushes will grow better and produce better fruit in heavier soils, which retain more moisture and keep cooler. an organic mulch is beneficial, both to protect the shallow roots and to keep the soil cool and moist. The bush will thrive in full sun or in partial shade. In warmer summer areas, plant the bushes in partial shade or on a north-facing slope.

The best soils for black currants are those that are rich in organic matter and slightly acidic. Supply nitrogen with a yearly mulch of strawy manure or some fertilizer that supplies about four ounces of nitrogen per square yard. Potassium, another important nutrient for black currants, is needed at the rate of a half-ounce of actual potassium to the square yard.

Currants leaf out very early in the spring, so they should be planted either in the fall (with a mulch to prevent heaving during the winter) or very early in the spring. Set plants slightly deeper than the depth they grew in the nursery so that plenty of buds, and, hence, new shoots will arise at and below ground level. One source (Bush Fruits) recommends cutting off all branches to within an inch of the ground right after planting to induce plants to grow strong shoots and roots. Others prefer not to remove all canes when planting, believing that the leaf canopy develops quicker and provides more vigor when one year old canes are left.

To grow black currants as individual bushes, space them six feet apart. These currants also can be planted as hedges, in which case, set them only three feet apart in a row.

Black currant bushes need pruning every year. The objective in pruning is to leave an adequate supply of one-year-old wood, which will bear fruit, and to stimulate new shoot growth for fruit the following season. During the winter following the first growing season, prune away all but a half-dozen of the strongest, upright shoots, which will fruit the following season. In subsequent winters, cut away old shoots at ground level or shorten them to vigorous side shoot. Old wood is recognizable by its darker bark. Also remove branches that are broken, trailing on the ground, or diseased.

If production declines as a plant ages, rejuvenate the whole bush by lopping all the branches off at ground level in winter. This will sacrifice the crop for the upcoming season, but the season after that, there should be a good load of fruit on vigorous one-year-old wood.

European black currant are the most culpable of cultivated Ribes for the spread of white pine blister rust, a disease that is devastating to white pines and other five-needled pines, but not very debilitating to black currants. The Canadian cultivars 'Consort', 'Crusader', and 'Coronet' and Russian cultivars such as 'Bzura', 'Ner', 'Warta', and 'Odra' are resistant to the rust.

Species of black currants also can be afflicted with mildew and leaf spotting diseases common to gooseberries and red currants, but these problems may be inconsequential with suitable choice of cultivar and site, and if the bushes are pruned for good air circulation.

Propagation. Hardwood cuttings of black currants root readily so long as each eight to twelve inch long piece is set deep enough in the ground so only the topmost bud is exposed. Set cuttings either in early spring, autumn, or even at the end of the summer, in the latter case leaving the topmost leaves on the cuttings attached and making sure plants do not dry out before rooting.

Softwood cuttings also root easily. Three-inch tip cuttings, given shade and a clear plastic tent or mist, grow roots in three or four weeks.

Drooping branches of black currants often layer themselves. If only one or two new plants are wanted, this layering habit can be encouraged by bending a low branch to the ground and covering it with some soil and a stone.

Alexander Eppler Ltd., P.O. Box 16513, Seattle, WA 98116-0513

Edible Landscaping Nursery, Rt. 2, Box 77, Afton, VA 22920

International Ribes Association, c/o Anderson Valley Agriculture Insitute, P.O. Box 130, Boonville, CA 95415

Raintree Nursery, 391 Butts Rd., Morton, WA 98356

Tolowa Nursery, 360 Stephen Way, Williams, OR 97544

Whitman Farms Nursery, 1420 Beaumont NW, Salem, OR 97304

Baker, Harry. The Fruit Garden Displayed. Cassell Ltd., The Royal Horticultural Society. 1986.

Bush Fruits. Reference Book # 4. Grower Books, 50 Doughty St., London, England WCINZLP.

Darrow, G. and S. Detwiler. Currants and gooseberries; their culture and relation to white-pine blister rust. U.S. Department of Agriculture Farmer's Bulletin No. 1398. 1924.

Reich, Lee. Uncommon Fruits Worthy of Attention: A Gardener's Guide. Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., Reading, MA. 1991.

Blackberries, Currants, and Gooseberries. Cooperative Extension Publication No. IB97. Distribution Center C, 7 Research Park. Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853.

Galletta, G. and D. Himelrick (eds). Small Fruit Crop Management. Prentice Hall, West Nyack, NY. 1990.

Antonelli, A. et al. Small Fruit Pests - Biology, Diagnosis, and Management. Publication EB 1388, Washington State University Agricultural Communications, Pullman, WA. 1988.

Lee Reich, PhD is a horticultural consultant and writer based in New Paltz, New York. He has been a fruit researcher for both Cornell University and for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Reviewed by Dan Barney, 12/2/91

Reviewed by Paul Vossen, 12/20/91

1/6/92