Description
Rolam is a Dutch red currant, bred from Jonkheer van Tets crossed with Rosetta, which gives it a useful inheritance: early-ripening quality from one side and heavy cropping from the other.
The berries are large and medium red, carried on long trusses that pick a whole string at a time. Yields are very high, and the fruit quality is prized by home gardeners and commercial growers alike, which is a rarer combination than it sounds.
Overview
- Large, medium-red berries on long, easy-picking trusses.
- Very heavy yielding.
- A Dutch cross of Jonkheer van Tets and Rosetta.
- Fruit quality valued by gardeners and commercial growers.
Growing Details
Latin Name: Ribes rubrum ‘Rolam’
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: Long trusses reward scissors. Cut the string, then strip the berries indoors where nothing gets crushed.
- 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
