Description
Red Lake has been the standard red currant in North America for decades, and it got there by being dependable. The bushes are attractive and heavy-bearing, and a mature plant will carry 8 to 10 pounds of fruit in a good year.
The berries hang on long strigs that pick easily, which matters more with currants than with almost any other fruit. The flavor is bright and juicy, firmly on the tart side of a red currant, which is exactly what you want for jelly, preserves, tarts and muffins, and it is good fresh once fully ripe.
Overview
- Heavy and dependable: 8 to 10 pounds from a mature bush.
- Long, easy-picking strigs of bright red fruit.
- Tart and bright; the classic jelly and preserving currant.
- The North American standard red currant.
Growing Details
Latin Name: Ribes rubrum ‘Red Lake’
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: Upright and compact, about 3 to 5 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: Leave the fruit on the bush a week past colouring. Red currants colour well before they sweeten, and most people pick them too early.
- 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
