Description
Pomona is a heavy-bearing red currant grown for long, hanging clusters of glossy, translucent red berries. It is a compact, upright shrub that stays easy to manage at 3 to 5 feet, which makes it a good fit for smaller gardens, mixed edible borders, and part-shade corners where many fruits will not crop.
What sets Pomona apart is flavor. The berries are milder and sweeter than most red currants, tart enough to stay bright but pleasant straight off the strig, so the fruit works for fresh eating as well as the usual juice, jelly, and preserves. Clusters commonly run about four inches long and hang well on the plant, which makes picking quick.
It is a tough, cold-hardy shrub, productive once established and noted for good resistance to the common currant pests and diseases. Currants prefer cool, moist conditions, so give Pomona afternoon shade and steady moisture in hotter regions and it will reward you with reliable summer crops.
Overview
- Heavy-bearing red currant with long, hanging clusters of glossy red berries.
- Milder and sweeter than most red currants; good for fresh eating as well as juice and jelly.
- Compact, upright shrub, about 3 to 5 ft tall and wide.
- Very cold-hardy, to roughly -40°F; ripens in midsummer.
- Self-fertile, productive, and tolerant of part shade.
Growing Details
Latin Name: Ribes rubrum ‘Pomona’
Site and Soil: Half-day to full sun; tolerates part shade; cool, moist, well-drained soil; give afternoon shade in hot-summer regions
Hardiness: USDA Zone 3-7; hardy to roughly -40°F
Propagation: Grown on its own roots from cuttings
Size at Maturity: Approximately 3-5 ft tall and wide
Bloom Time: Early spring
Ripening Time: Midsummer
Fruit: Long clusters of glossy, translucent red berries, milder and sweeter than most red currants
Pollination: Self-fertile; a single plant will crop, though more than one can improve yield
Bearing Age: Usually begins fruiting within a year or two of planting
Uses: Fresh eating, juice, jelly, and preserves
Pests & Diseases: Generally healthy; noted for good resistance to the common currant pests and diseases
Additional Notes
- Grower’s Insight: Currants crop well in part shade where many fruits sulk, so Pomona is a strong pick for a cooler, shadier corner; net the bushes as the berries color up, because birds find them fast.
- Regional Insight: Pomona thrives in cool-summer regions like the Pacific Northwest, the upper Midwest, the Northeast, and the mountain West, and in hotter areas such as the interior South and lower Midwest it does best with afternoon shade and steady moisture.
- Explore more currants in our collection: Currants
