Cherry Red Currant
Developed by the Washington State Department
of Agriculture. Large, dark red fruit with acid flavor. Fruit is high quality and excellent
for jams, jelly, and sauces. Plants will grow 4 to 6 feet tall and 2 to 5 feet wide.
Commonly grown commercially but can also be used as edible ornamentals or hedges. Bears fruit
well but attracts aphids. Resistant to powdery mildew. Hardiest and best yielding currant.
Hardy in USDA zone 3.
Red Lake Red Currant
Developed at the University of Minnesota and
introduced in 1933. Large, dark red berries on medium to large compact clusters. Excellent
for jelly, preserves, and muffins. Strong and vigorous upright bush that will grow 4 to 6
feet tall and 2 to 5 feet wide. Used commercially and as ornamentals. Good for bird forage
and windbreak plants. Red Lake is one of the most widely grow red currants. Early bearing;
ripens in July.
Wilder Red Currant
Originated in Indiana. Large clusters of dark red, medium
sized berries. Fruit is of very good quality. Heavy bearing, vigorous, tall stemmed plant will
grow 4-6 feet tall and 2-5 feet wide. Wilder is a good variety for market or home use. Wilder has a
long bearing season, from July 1st-20th. Zone 3-8.
Consort Black Currant
Developed in Ottawa, Ontario and introduced in 1950.
Medium clusters of somewhat soft black berries. Very prominent, sweet, and unique flavor.
Good for jams, jellies, juice, and wine. Also excellent when dried. Resistant to White Pine
Blister Rust. Black currants are a very high source of vitamin C. Excellent bird forage or
windbreak plants. Very cold hardy. Zone 3-8.
Crandall Black Currant
Clusters of large black currants with sweet tart
flavor that is excellent for jams, juice, and syrup. Crandall Black Currants have five times
the vitamin C of oranges. Bush is upright, dark green leaves, very productive. Ripens in
mid July. Zone 2-8.
Jostaberry
A cross between a black currant and a gooseberry.
It has the vigorous growth habit and the disease resistance of the black currant. The leaves
are gooseberry like and the fruit, until ripe, looks like a gooseberry. In late June the fruit
ripens and the elongated fruit turns black. The flavor is sweet like a gooseberry with a hint
of black currant. Resistant to both powdery mildew and white pine blister rust. It should be
pruned like a gooseberry. Zone 2-8.
White Imperial
Loose clusters of beautiful, white, translucent fruit
with a pink blush. Size of the fruit varies from medium to large. Seeds show through the flesh
and skin, looking somewhat brownish in color. Richest and sweetest flavor of all currants.
Similar to red currants in size and hardiness. Ripens in mid-July. Zone 3-8.
Jhonkheer Van Tets
Large, red fruited currant. Fine flavor that is good
for fresh eating, jellies, and sauces. Bush has a spreading growth habit. Heavy producer that is
aphid and mildew resisant. Less heat tolrant than other red currants. Zone 3-8.
Primus
White currant. Compact bush bearing long fruit clusters.
Bears up to 20 lbs of fruit per bush. Sweetness similar to White Imperial. Zone 3-8.
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