Currants

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Currants

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Written by Kevin R. Lee Kevin R. Lee
Published: 23 January 2020 23 January 2020

Currants, Ribes sp., are usually small shrubs about a metre in height, with delicious fruits that come in a variety of colors.There is one exception, the Alpine currant, Ribes alpinum. I have seen many old ones left unpruned that got quite leggy, unmanageable and unattractive. They can grow to over two metres in height and take up a lot of space. They have yellow flowers and the fruit is not good. Do not plant this variety without a pruning plan. When they get old and unmanageable, most people give up and remove them.

The other currants, the black, white, and red lake, all have fruit of the same color as in their name. Josta is a cross between black currrant and gooseberry and has purple fruit. The golden currant, a native shrub, is also tasty.

Currants are sometimes fed upon by the currant blister aphids. They suck sap from the bottom of the leaves and this action creates a reddish blistery look on the upper leaf surface.


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