Description
Heros is a Dutch red currant that stays small, reaching about 3 ft, which is the whole argument for it. That size fits a large container on a patio or a corner of a small garden where a full-size currant would take over.
It is not a token crop either. The clusters are long and abundant, and the berries are sweet and beautifully translucent red. The plant is very disease resistant, which matters more in a container where air movement is limited.
Overview
- Compact at about 3 ft, for containers and small gardens.
- Long clusters of sweet, translucent red berries.
- Very disease resistant.
- Attractive, upright and tidy.
Growing Details
Latin Name: Ribes rubrum ‘Heros’
Site and Soil: 1/2 day to full day of sun; rich, moist, well-drained soil
Hardiness: Hardy to USDA Zone 3
Rootstock: Grown from cuttings
Bearing Age: Light crop the year after planting; full crops by the third or fourth year
Size at Maturity: Compact and upright, about 3 ft tall and wide
Ripening Time: Mid season; July into August
Pollination: Self-fertile; one bush sets a full crop, and a second currant nearby increases berry size
Additional Notes
- Grower’s Insight: This is the one our own staff went for first, and the reason is the flavour rather than the size. The small plant is a bonus.
- Regional Insight: Currants are cool-climate fruit, at their best where summers stay moderate and winters are properly cold.
- Explore more berries in our collection: Berries
