Ribes rubrum - Redcurrant

The Redcurrant bush, in Latin Ribes rubrum, is a fruit bush cultivated since the Middle Ages that has proven itself in countless gardens. The plant is self-fertile, very hardy, vigorous and undemanding. The discreet flowering, beginning in May, is after the last hard frosts. It bears fruit in July, producing beautiful clusters of small red berries, whose pulp is juicy, fragrant and deliciously tart. Easy to grow in non-scorching sun, in well-drained, even poor soil. Redcurrants are perfect for making jellies, jams and pie toppings!

The Redcurrant bush belongs to the Grossulariaceae family. It is a plant that has been cultivated for a long time and grows spontaneously in many temperate regions of the northern hemisphere, from Europe to Siberia, to Manchuria. It is a bushy, non-thorny shrub, with a tufted habit of slightly stiff, sparsely branched shoots, whose wood is soft and has abundant pith. This bush will reach 1.50 m (5ft) in all directions. The deciduous foliage falls in autumn. It is composed of medium-green, palmate, lobed leaves, aromatic when crushed. Flowering takes place in early May with clusters of small inconspicuous greenish to brownish flowers, intensely visited by bees. Fruiting mainly occurs on one- and two-year-old shoots. The bush is then covered with numerous clusters of small round and translucent berries, first green then bright red, 6 mm (0in) in diameter, containing small seeds. Harvesting takes place as the fruits ripen, starting in July. Redcurrants are a low-calorie fruit, (whether white or red), rich in minerals and trace elements as well as potassium, calcium and phosphorus. They are also a good source of vitamin C and fibre. The yield of this wild variety is about 2 to 4 kg per plant, depending on the growing conditions.

Use fresh redcurrants for jellies or pastries for pie fillings or sorbet making. In the garden, this bush is unassuming for much of the year and becomes attractive when laden with its long blood-red clusters, illuminated by the summer light. The pleasure is threefold, attractive and tasty, but also perfumed when its warm foliage fills the garden with fragrance. It pairs well with white currant varieties and gooseberry bushes, but also with shrubs that have ornamental fruit (non-edible), such as Leycesteria formosa, callicarpas, Nandina domestica and its varieties, Japanese quinces, snowberries... For small gardens, or to save space, it is a good idea to train this redcurrant bush against a wall or grow it as a standard. Note that the redcurrant bush can also be grown in a terraced orchard, as it performs well in large pots, with a depth of at least forty centimetres, avoid watering it with hard water.

Wild redcurrant Ribes rubrum has medicinal properties. It is used for the treatment of rheumatism and infectious diseases, especially when the fruits are consumed fresh.