Black Currant

» biogardener - a national favorite

I grew up in one of the European countries where black currant are a national obsession. Although much of the harvest is used in preserves, I much prefer to eat them raw, especially when the berries are overripe. I don't grow them in Canada, though, because they are subject to a fungus disease here which I had never seen in Europe. It spreads to all other currants. Since I yanked out my black ones, the red and yellow currants have been free of the disease.

BTW, your picture shows chokecherry, not currant. The leaf of all currants looks somewhat like a maple leaf. And the black berries do not line up like chokecherries. Only the red and yellow ones do that. The black berries are also much larger and grow in a clump.

-- posted by biogardener

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» Laurel - Black Currant

Traute, thanks very much for stopping by with your story, which was very interesting, AND for letting me know my picture was wrong. As I look closely, I see you are right. I have uploaded a new picture in its place which I believe to be correct. Regarding the fungus, it does seem that the black variety is much more susceptible to problems.

-- posted by Laurel

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» spinlily - My currants

I planted two currant bushes last year - one was supposed to be Consort, and one Crandall.

One of them looks almost identical to the red currant I already had, with small berries and smallish maple-type leaves.

The other has big berries, almost the size of grapes, and leaves with smooth lobes, not pointed like the other.

Do you think they're both black currants?

-- posted by spinlily

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» Laurel - Black Currant

Suzanne,
I am by no means an expert in currants, so maybe another reader can help also, but I am wondering if maybe your larger berried plant is maybe a jostaberry, that's a cross between a black currant and a gooseberry. The berries of this plant are black and larger, but I'm not sure what the leaves look like. Maybe if you check back with your supplier and tell them what you have, they could tell you whether they gave you the correctly labeled items.

-- posted by Laurel

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» spinlily - Breaking news!

I just got a Raintree catalog in the mail.

The one with the big berries and leaves with curved lobes is the Crandall. It's called a "yellow-flowered clove currant." (Ribes odoratum)

-- posted by spinlily

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