Redcurrant Rola - Ribes rubrum

The Rolan Redcurrant Bush (Ribes rubrum) is a productive variety, highly resistant to diseases. It is self-fertile and produces long clusters of very tasty red fruits. It is well-suited for regions with harsh winters as it has significant cold requirements. Planting can be done from October to March for a harvest in July and August.

The Redcurrant Bush, also known as Ribes rubrum, belongs to the Grossulariaceae family, just like the Gooseberry Bush. It has been cultivated for a long time and grows naturally in many temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, from Europe to Siberia and even to Manchuria.

The Redcurrant Bush is a bushy, non-thorny shrub with a clump-like habit, with slightly stiff and sparsely branched branches, and its wood is soft and has abundant pith. This very hardy bush will reach 1.50 m (5ft) in all directions. The foliage is deciduous, composed of palmate, lobed, and aromatic leaves, of medium green colour.

Flowering occurs in spring, in the form of clusters of small insignificant greenish to brownish flowers, intensely visited by bees. Fructification mainly occurs on one- and two-year-old branches. The bush is then covered with numerous clusters of small round and translucent berries, containing small seeds.

Harvesting takes place as the fruits ripen. The Rolan variety produces long clusters of red fruits, to be picked from July onwards. Redcurrants have juicy, tangy, red flesh. Whether white or red, redcurrants are low in calories, rich in minerals and trace elements, as well as potassium, calcium, and phosphorus. They are also a good source of vitamin C and fibre.

Use fresh redcurrants in jams or pastries for tart fillings or for making sorbets. In the garden, this bush, unremarkable for much of the year, becomes attractive when it is adorned with its long sanguine clusters illuminated by the summer light. The pleasure is threefold, both visual and gustatory, but also olfactory when its warm foliage perfumes the garden. It pairs well with white currant varieties, gooseberry bushes, as well as bushes that offer a beautiful fruiting (non-edible), such as Leycesteria formosa, Nandina domestica and its varieties, Japanese quinces, small-leaved Cotoneaster, Magical Beauty St. John's Wort, symphoricarpos... For small gardens or to save space, it is clever to train this redcurrant bush against a wall or to grow it as a standard. Note that the redcurrant bush can be included in a patio orchard, as it performs well in large pots, with a depth of at least 40cm, while being careful not to water it with overly hard water.