Ribes nigrum Black'n'Red Premiere (B)

RHS Plant Profile
blackcurrant [Black'n'Red Premiere]
Plants for pollinators
Fruit Edible Shrubs

An upright, deciduous shrub with foliage emerging green in spring, turning to red in summer to late autumn. Flowers are green in spring, followed by medium-sized blackcurrant fruits which are sweet and aromatic. Shows good resistance to mildews and leaf spot

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

1-1.5 metres

Max Spread

1-1.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
2–5 years
Max Spread
1-1.5 metres
Max Height
1-1.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Clay Loam Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained
pH
Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun
Aspect
South–facing
Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness
H6

Colour & Scent

Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Grossulariaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Bushy, Columnar upright
Genus
Ribes can be deciduous or evergreen shrubs, sometimes spiny, with simple, usually palmately lobed leaves and small tubular or bell-shaped, solitary or racemose flowers borne in spring or summer, followed by juicy, sometimes edible berries
Name Status
Trade
Horticultural Group
This genus produces blackcurrants

How to Grow

Cultivation

Blackcurrants prefer a sunny site with well-drained but moisture-retentive soil, but will cope in most other soil conditions and tolerate light shade. Mulch annually with well-rotted manure or compost and apply a general purpose fertiliser in spring. Please see our blackcurrant cultivation page for more growing tips

Propagation

Propagate by hardwood cuttings

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Wildlife gardens
  • Edible fruit

Pruning

Prune in winter. Blackcurrants fruit best on younger wood so aim to remove up to one quarter of the oldest stems at ground level to encourage new growth from the base

Diseases

May be susceptible to a leaf spot, powdery mildews, coral spot and sometimes honey fungus