Garden shrubs – Ornamental currant

Known by the botanical name Ribes, this is indeed related to the redcurrant, whitecurrant and blackcurrant. However, this variety is a deciduous shrub which can reach a size of seven feet by seven, growing at a medium rate. The flowers appear quite early in spring, often very early in April or in very cold years and in shaded corners in May, and the seeds ripen from August to October, and are generally light pink and tubular flowers although red, dark pink and creamy varieties are available. They are pendant racemes of two to four inches and look very impressive against the deeply toothed leaves of the plant. In many varieties, they are followed by rounded black fruit which is not very tasty! Do note that the smell of the flowers is not to everybody’s taste too.

The real advantage of the ornamental currant is that it’s easily grown in a moisture retentive but well-drained soil and copes well with heavy clay soils if it’s given full sun. In nicely draining soil it will tolerate shade, though it does not flower so well. It will also put up with maritime exposure, making it a versatile, if not completely hardy, shrub. It requires very little care, simply remove any dead, diseased or crossing branches in late summer to maintain a healthy, open framework and reduce the previously flowered shoots to a strong, lower bud. Prune specimens grown as hedges immediately after flowering and in all cases give a mulch of well-rotted garden compost around the base of the plant

Plants can harbour a stage of pine blister rust, so should not be grown in the vicinity of pine trees and this genus is notably susceptible to honey fungus.

Ornamental currant photograph by smoobs, used under a creative commons attribution licence

 

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