Description
Gloire des Sablons is a pink currant with real provenance: the UK’s National Fruit Collection accessioned and measured this plant in 1958, giving it a documented record that most pink currants lack. Its greenish flowers open in spring and give way to loose clusters of pale, jewel-toned fruit.
The shrub itself is a compact, easy grower: any aspect suits it, from full sun to partial shade, and it settles into clay, loam, or sandy soil as long as drainage is reasonable. Berries continue to ripen in flavor even after they show full color, so there is no need to rush the harvest.
Gloire des Sablons fits neatly into a small garden or mixed border and needs little beyond an annual prune. Its pale, translucent fruit is prized for jelly, syrup, and desserts, and the plant’s compact habit makes it easy to net against birds.
Overview
- Pale pink, translucent berries in loose clusters, ready by midsummer.
- Compact shrub, reaching about 3.5 to 5 ft tall and wide.
- Self-fertile; one plant sets a full crop on its own.
- Adapts to full sun or partial shade and to any soil type.
- A documented cultivar with real provenance, not just a trade name.
Growing Details
Latin Name: Ribes rubrum ‘Gloire des Sablons’
Site and Soil: Full sun to part shade; clay, loam, or sandy soil, moist but well-drained
Hardiness: Hardy through USDA Zone 3 to 4
Propagation: Grown on its own roots from cuttings
Bearing Age: Light crop the year after planting; full crops by the third or fourth year
Size at Maturity: About 3.5 to 5 ft tall and wide, reached in 2 to 5 years
Flowering Group: Early spring; greenish flowers
Ripening Time: Mid season; June into July
Pollination: Self-fertile; one bush sets a full crop, and a second currant nearby increases berry size
Yield: 4 to 6 quarts from a mature bush is a good crop for this type
Additional Notes
- Grower’s Insight: Clusters run shorter than many currants offer, but the pale berries still color before they are fully ripe, so give them a few extra days on the bush for best flavor.
- Regional Insight: Currants suit cool-summer regions nationwide, from the Upper Midwest and New England to the Pacific Northwest and coastal California.
- Ribes shrubs are an alternate host for white pine blister rust, and some states restrict or require a permit for currants and gooseberries; check your state’s rules before ordering.
- Explore more currants in our collection: Currants
