Plant Profile - Black Currant
Black Currant ( Ribes nigrum) Black Currant is a woody shrub grown primarily for its berries. In our food forest it will be an understory shrub, so it is currently placed next to a cherry. They originate in the temperate parts of central and northern Europe and Asia and are hardy to zone 2. The Black Currant comes in a few varieties, but all have a bushy growth and can range from 3-5ft. As the name suggest, the berries are black and similar in size to a blueberry (a wild blueberry not one of those store-bought monsters). There are claims that one mature Black Currant can produce 10 pounds of berries in a season. That would be impressive and fantastic. The berries are tasty and can be eaten fresh or made into jams, jellies etc. Berries can also be dried and added to cooking throughout the winter. There are small delicate flowers in the spring that progress into clusters of berries by midsummer. The leaves are fairly large for a plant it’s size and have 5 lobes, ...