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edible

Blackcurrant

Ribes nigrum

Climate-suitable non-native

Growing guidance

Horticultural figures below are practitioner estimates for planning, pending expert review. The botanical record further down is sourced and verifiable.

Current-climate suitability

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Future-climate resilience

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Sun

Sun or shade

Soil moisture

average, moisture-retentive

Heat tolerance

Up to about 34°C

Cold tolerance

Down to about -30°C

Waterlogging tolerance

4/5

Drought tolerance

2/5

Mature size

1.2–1.8 m tall, 1.5 m spread

Seasonal interest

Summer fruit · Green flower

Maintenance

medium

Wildlife supported

General wildlife value 4/5 (verified species relationships are shown only where structured data exists)

Known risks or warnings

Needs winter chill and annual renewal pruning.

Toxicity: none

Verified botanical record

Accepted scientific name
Ribes nigrum L.
Family
Grossulariaceae (Saxifragales)
Rank and status
species · accepted
GBIF record
Taxon 2986192

Recorded native range: Belgium, Brussels-Capital Region, Flanders, Flemish Region, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Walloon Region

Recorded as introduced in: Austria, Belgium, Channel Is., Connecticut, England, Falkland Is., France, Great Britain, Hungary, Illinois, Inner Mongolia, Ireland and 34 further regions

Ranges are exactly as recorded in the GBIF source checklists and may be incomplete for widely cultivated species.

The blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum), black currant or cassis is a deciduous shrub in the family Grossulariaceae grown for its edible berries. It is native to temperate parts of central and northern Europe and northern Asia, where it prefers damp fertile soils. It is widely cultivated both commercially and domestically. It is winter hardy, but cold weather at flowering time during the spring may reduce the size of the crop. Bunches of small, glossy black fruit develop along the stems in the summer and can be harvested by hand or by machine.

Description from Wikipedia — Blackcurrant (CC BY-SA), shortened and unedited in substance.

Native status and geographic context

  • United Kingdom: climate-suitable
  • United States: climate-suitable
  • Australia: climate-suitable

Native status is never inferred from climate similarity. Plants restricted or invasive in a jurisdiction are excluded from recommendations there.

Demonstration data. Climate, plant and retailer records shown here are realistic samples awaiting horticultural validation and live data connections.