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Shrubs

Ribes × culverwellii (F)

jostaberry

An upright, thornless shrub, up to around 1.8m high, with lobed and toothed green leaves, and dark purple, edible berries in summer. This hybrid was an early direct cross between blackcurrant and gooseberry, and resulted in variable plants, some of which had limited fruiting capacity. The name is often misapplied to more modern, complex and high yield hybrids commonly known as jostaberries

Synonyms

Rubus × culverwellii

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Ultimate height

1.5–2.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

5–10 years

Ultimate spread

1–1.5 metres

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Exposed or Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Grossulariaceae
Native to the UK: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Columnar upright, Bushy
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: Correct

How to grow

Cultivation

Tolerates a range of conditions but thrives in a sunny site with well-drained but moisture-retentive soil. Grow as blackcurrants, see blackcurrant cultivation for more detailed advice

Propagation

Propagate by hardwood cuttings in the dormant season

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Edible fruit

Pruning

Prune sparingly when young; replacement prune from year 3 onwards, removing some old stems to encourage new growth from the base

Pests

May be susceptible to birds eating fruits

Diseases

Generally disease-free, with some resistance to gooseberry leaf spot and gooseberry mildew

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