Red Lake Currant Bush

Glowing red berries for perfect for birds or jam! If this Currant bush took a vacation, it would not be aiming for the sunny beaches of the south. It would much prefer the cool climate of the Great Lakes. Redcurrants were first cultivated as garden plants in sixteenth-century Denmark, around the Baltic Sea, and Red Lake is a US native cultivar!

The Red Lake Currant (Ribes rubrum 'Red Lake') is a striking shrub with edible red berries, renowned for their culinary uses and health benefits! Spring brings drooping clusters of self-pollinating yellowish-green flowers that the bees and butterflies go gaga for, quickly followed by the Red Lake Currants massive, showy clusters of large, juicy, deep red currants!

These bubbly berries are quite tart when eaten straight from the plant, but that doesn't dissuade birds, and it shouldn't discourage you from using them for a multitude of culinary adventures!

While these berries provide an opportunity to widen your palate, they also create a dazzling summer display on the plant! These bright berries shine out against the even green foliage by July. The gorgeous light green leaves have a Maple-leaf shape and fine toothy edges for an extra ornamental effect!

Planting and Application:

Redcurrants are a good source of digestive health fiber, are packed with vitamin C for a healthy immune system, and are a good source of Iron! Once you add some sugar, these little superfruits have the ideal balance of sweetness and acidity with subtle musky and citrusy notes.

Aside from its berries, the Red Lake Currant can take on many different roles in the landscape. It adds height and habitat to your wildlife garden or makes a great beneficial addition to your foundation planting or as an anchor!

As a vigorous grower, you can create an energetic and interesting informal hedge with several Red Lake Currants. Red Lake Current makes a great addition to the middle of your mixed border or edible landscape! Groupings and rows create linear shelterbelts, backdrops, and privacy hedges! Mix in some Gooseberry, Aronia, and Blackberry/Raspberries and you'll have a superfruit border like no other!

Drought tolerant once established, Currant bushes are ideal for Xeric landscapes! Use throughout the Rock Garden or in the Kitchen Garden without worrying about them being needy for water or attention! The fibrous roots work great as erosion control on slopes, and in coastal gardens! Red Currants can also form polite thickets over time!

• Drooping Clusters of Yellow-Green Spring Blossoms
• Striking Clusters of Deep Red Berries
• Vigorous Grower & Ornamental Light Green Foliage
• Bunches of Tart Edible Fruit For Jams, Baking & More!
• Great for Birds & Pollinators
• Lovely Informal Hedge, Groupings, Specimens & Privacy

#ProPlantTips for Care:

Ideal for cold climates throughout USDA hardiness zones 3 to 7, plant these deciduous Currants in full sun. If you live in balmier regions, aim for afternoon shade or plant yours along the edge of the woods. Currants withstand some of the most intolerable conditions. It doesn't mind a city setting or clay soils! Provide regular water for new shrubs, but once established they can handle some drought. But for the best harvest of showy edible fruit, provide supplemental moisture and 3-4 inches of arborist bark chips.

Be cautious when trimming, fruit grows on wood that is 2-to-3 years old, so try to snip unhealthy or old-growth while leaving younger branches in a pruning process known as renewal pruning.

• Full Sun & Partial Shade
• Any Well-Drained Soil
• Moderate to Low Moisture Needs
• Easy to Grow & Low Browse For Deer
• Blooms on Old Wood - Renewal Pruning Best

Are you ready to fall for the Red Lake Currant's glossy berries and spunky personality? Order yours and enjoy a garden jewel from NatureHills.com today!