How to grow Blackcurrant
Updated October 2026
Black currants are very hardy, long lived shrubs with intensely flavored, vitamin rich berries for jam, juice, syrup and baking. They thrive in cool northern summers and are among the few fruits proven in Alaska and the Northern Plains. Before you buy one, check your state's rules: because currants can host white pine blister rust, black currants are banned or restricted in several states.
Not to be confused with: Clove currant (Ribes odoratum) is a native American shrub with yellow, clove scented flowers and edible black fruit, and is sometimes sold as Crandall. Dried currants sold in stores are actually small raisins from Zante grapes.
Where to plant
Black currants need cold winters and do best where summers are cool. Temperatures above about 86°F (30°C) can scorch the leaves, so in warmer areas plant on a north or northeast facing slope or where the bushes get afternoon shade, with mulch and steady water. They grow well in the Northeast, the Midwest, the Northern Plains, the Mountain West, the Pacific Northwest, the Mid-Atlantic and Alaska. Florida, the Gulf South, Texas, the desert, Southern California, the Mid-South, the hot Central Valley and Hawaii are too hot or too mild.
Choose moist but well drained soil rich in organic matter, with a pH of about 5.5 to 7. A raised bed helps on poorly drained ground. The shrubs are frost hardy, but early flowers are damaged below about 28°F (minus 2°C), so avoid frost pockets.
State rules and varieties
White pine blister rust is a fungus that needs both a five needle pine, such as eastern white pine, and a currant or gooseberry to complete its life cycle. A federal ban on growing currants was lifted in 1966, but many states and towns kept their own rules, and black currants are the most susceptible host. Maine and Massachusetts prohibit planting black currants anywhere in the state, and both restrict other currants and gooseberries in some towns. New Hampshire allows only listed varieties, under permit. North Carolina prohibits all currants and gooseberries, wild or cultivated. Rules change, so check with your state department of agriculture before you buy, even when a nursery will ship to you.
| Variety | Notes |
|---|---|
| Titania | Vigorous and tall, with high yields of large berries; carries the Cr gene and stayed free of blister rust in trials |
| Consort | An older Canadian variety with the Cr resistance gene; very rich, tart fruit but more prone to powdery mildew and lower yields |
| Ben Sarek | Compact, with heavy crops of large berries; highly rust resistant |
| Blackcomb, Cheakamus, Stikine | Newer rust resistant varieties with good fruit quality |
Even in states without rules, choose a rust resistant variety, particularly if white pines grow nearby. In inoculation trials, Consort, Crusader and Titania, which carry the Cr resistance gene, stayed free of blister rust, while some red currant stock sold as the resistant Viking proved fully susceptible, so buy from a reputable nursery.
How to plant
- Plant dormant plants in spring as soon as the ground can be worked; the leaves tolerate frosts down to about 20°F (minus 7°C). Fall planting also works, with a mulch to stop frost heaving.
- Soak bare roots for an hour or two and trim off damaged roots.
- Plant a little deeper than the plant grew in the nursery, burying 1 to 3 buds, which encourages new shoots from the base.
- Cut the shoots back to about 6 to 10 inches (15 to 25 cm) after planting to make the bush branch.
- Space bushes 3 to 5 feet (1 to 1.5 m) apart and mulch around them, keeping the mulch off the stems.
Watering and feeding
Keep the soil evenly moist, especially in the first years, while the fruit is swelling, and in late summer and fall, when next year's flower buds form. Mulch helps keep the roots cool and moist.
Feed lightly in early spring with compost or a balanced fertilizer, guided by a soil test. If you mulch with wood chips, add a little extra nitrogen so the chips do not starve the plants.
Pruning and care through the year
- Pick off flowers and young fruit for the first year or two so the plant builds strength.
- Black currants fruit mostly on one and two year old wood. Each winter, keep about four strong new shoots, cut out stems more than three years old at the base, and keep 10 to 15 stems in total in an open cup shape.
- Remove weak, low and crossing growth to let light and air into the center, which helps prevent mildew.
- Cut out and burn any cane with a dark hollow in the center, a sign of currant borer.
Harvesting
Berries ripen in June to August, depending on region and variety, and ripen over one to two weeks on each bush. Pick when they are fully black and slightly soft; many growers pick whole clusters (strigs) and strip the berries off afterward.
Black currants are tart and aromatic and are best cooked into jam, jelly, syrup, juice or pies. They freeze well. The leaves are also used for tea.
Growing in pots
A compact variety such as Ben Sarek can grow in a pot at least 16 inches (40 cm) wide with a rich, moisture holding potting mix. Water often in summer, keep the pot in light shade during heat waves and protect the roots from hard freezes in winter.
Propagation and saving seed
Black currants root easily from hardwood cuttings 6 to 10 inches (15 to 25 cm) long, taken from dormant plants in late fall to late winter and pushed into the soil with only a bud or two above ground. Check your state's rules before moving plants or cuttings.
Pests and diseases
Rust and mildew are the main diseases; choose resistant varieties and keep the bushes open.
Pests to watch for
- Aphids Puckered, curled young leaves and stunted shoots, with colonies of small green aphids underneath.
- Fruit tree borers Currant borer larvae tunnel through the pith; wilting canes show a dark hole when cut.
- Birds Ripe berries stripped from the bush. Net plants as the fruit colors.
Diseases to watch for
- Rust White pine blister rust shows as yellow to orange spots on the leaves and brown hairy growths underneath in late summer, with early leaf drop.
- Powdery mildew White powdery coating on young leaves, shoot tips and berries.
Common questions
Is it legal to grow black currants in the US?
In most states, yes, but not everywhere. Maine and Massachusetts prohibit black currants, New Hampshire allows only listed varieties under permit, and North Carolina prohibits all currants and gooseberries. Some states restrict them in certain towns or counties. Check with your state department of agriculture before buying.
Why are currants restricted?
Currants and gooseberries are alternate hosts of white pine blister rust, a fungus that kills five needle pines such as eastern white pine. The fungus needs both plants to complete its life cycle, and black currants are especially susceptible.
How do I prune black currants?
In winter, keep about four strong new shoots each year, remove stems more than three years old at the base, and aim for 10 to 15 stems in an open cup. Most fruit comes on one and two year old wood.
Can I grow black currants in a warm climate?
They struggle where summers are hot. Temperatures above about 86°F can scorch the leaves, so in warmer areas plant them on a north facing slope or in afternoon shade with mulch and steady water. They are not suited to Florida, the Gulf South, Texas or the desert.
When do black currants fruit?
Usually from the third year after planting, with full crops by the fourth or fifth year. Berries ripen in early to midsummer.
Do I need two black currant bushes?
Most varieties are self fertile, so one bush will crop. A second variety nearby can increase yield and berry size.
Sources we checked: Savanna Institute and University of Wisconsin: Black Currant Grower's Guide for the Midwestern US; University of Minnesota Extension: Growing currants and gooseberries in the home garden; Penn State Extension: Home Fruit Plantings, Gooseberries and Currants; Maine Forest Service: Ribes and white pine blister rust quarantine; Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources: Growing red currants or gooseberries in Massachusetts; HortScience 43(1): Black currant clonal identity and white pine blister rust resistance; University of Minnesota Forest Pathology: Investigations into resistance to white pine blister rust; NCDA&CS Plant Industry: White Pine Blister Rust; NC State Extension: Can I Grow Gooseberries or Currants in NC?.
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