Description
Blanka closes the white currant season with very large crops of translucent ivory berries, ripening evenly along the strig from late July into August.
The berries are sweet and almost transparent, and the upright bush has earned the Award of Garden Merit. It is also reported resistant to anthracnose and more tolerant of a dry spell than an ordinary currant.
Blanka is an established Slovak cultivar, not a recent introduction. The cross dates to the 1960s and the cultivar entered the Czechoslovak state assortment in 1977, giving it nearly fifty years of garden and commercial use behind the name.
Overview
- Bred at Bojnice in Slovakia and in the state assortment since 1977. Nearly fifty years old.
- Holds the Award of Garden Merit for proven garden performance.
- Very large crops of transparent ivory berries, well above the ordinary white currant yield.
- Late. It ripens from late July into August, after the earlier white currants have finished.
- The fruit ripens evenly along the strig, so whole trusses come off at once.
- Reported resistant to anthracnose and tolerant of dry spells and of poor ground.
- Self fertile.
Growing Details
Latin Name: Ribes rubrum ‘Blanka’
Site and Soil: Full sun in cool summers; afternoon shade in heat; moist, well-drained soil
Hardiness: Hardy to roughly -40 F, USDA Zones 3 to 7
Origin: Bred at Bojnice, Slovakia; entered the state assortment in 1977
Award: Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit
Fruit: Large, transparent ivory berries, whitish yellow and round, ripening evenly along the strig
Ripening Time: Late July into August
Size: Approximately 3 to 5 ft tall and wide
Habit: A heavy cropper, carrying well above the ordinary yield for the crop
Disease Note: Reported resistant to anthracnose, and tolerant of temporary drought and of poor ground
Propagation: Grown on own roots from cuttings
Pollination: Self fertile; one bush crops, and a second currant nearby gives larger fruit
Pests and Diseases: Hosts white pine blister rust; check local currant restrictions before ordering
Additional Notes
- Grower’s Insight: Blanka’s heavy crop needs spring feeding, steady water during berry sizing, and a full frame of nine to twelve canes.
- Regional Insight: It tolerates temporary drought and indifferent soil, but summer heat still limits currants more than dry ground does.
- Currants host white pine blister rust and remain restricted in parts of the United States. The rules apply to the plant rather than to the cultivar, so check your county and state before ordering.
- Explore more currants in the collection: Currants
