Description
Hinnomaki Red is a gooseberry bred in Finland for its distinctive eating quality: a tart red skin that gives way to sweet, aromatic flesh as you bite through it. The berries ripen to a deep red and hold their flavor whether picked for fresh eating, jam, or pie.
The bush itself is upright and vigorous, easy to fit into a mixed border, a fruiting hedge, or its own row. It sets fruit on its own, so a single plant is all it takes to bring home a crop.
Overview
- Finnish-bred dessert gooseberry with sweet, aromatic flesh beneath a tart red skin.
- Ripens to a deep red, excellent fresh, baked, or in preserves.
- Upright, vigorous bush suited to borders, hedges, or dedicated rows.
- Self-fertile: one bush sets a full crop without a pollinator.
Growing Details
Latin Name: Ribes uva-crispa ‘Hinnomaki Red’
Site and Soil: Full sun to part shade; rich, well drained soil, pH 6.0 to 7.0
Hardiness: Hardy to USDA Zone 3
Rootstock: Grown from cuttings
Bearing Age: Light crop the first year; full crops by year 3 or 4
Size at Maturity: Upright, vigorous bush, about 3 to 4 ft tall and wide
Ripening Time: Early to mid season for a gooseberry; June into July
Pollination: Self-fertile; a single bush sets a full crop
Pests & Diseases: Partial resistance to powdery mildew; currant worm strips leaves from the inside out
Additional Notes
- Grower’s Insight: Expect the flavor to change mid-bite: a brief tart snap from the skin, then a wave of sweet, aromatic flesh.
- Regional Insight: Gooseberries perform best where summers stay cool to moderate, from the Upper Midwest and New England to the Pacific Northwest and Rocky Mountain states.
- Explore more berries in our collection: Berries
