Golden Current (ribes aureum)
40-60cm
£2.40
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Golden Current (ribes aureum)
£2.40
Hardy, low-maintenance deciduous shrub (typically 1.5–3 m tall/spread) with fragrant yellow spring flowers (clove-like scent), edible sweet-tart berries (yellow to black, good for fresh eating, jam or jelly), attractive autumn foliage, and strong wildlife value for pollinators and birds. Drought-tolerant once established and adaptable to a range of soils.
Planting & Growing Tips
- Hardiness: Fully hardy; tolerates UK winters without protection.
- When to plant: Late autumn to spring.
- Position: Full sun for best flowers and fruit; tolerates partial shade (reduced yield). Avoid late-frost pockets if possible.
- Soil: Any well-drained soil (chalk, clay, loam, sand); prefers moist but not waterlogged. Tolerates poor, dry or alkaline conditions.
- Planting method: Dig hole twice the rootball width; incorporate organic matter if soil is poor. Plant at same depth as in pot (or slightly deeper). Water in well and mulch.
- Spacing: 1.5–2 m apart (closer for informal hedge).
- Watering: Keep moist in first growing season; thereafter water only in prolonged drought (especially while fruit is swelling).
- Care: Low-maintenance. Mulch annually in spring. Prune in winter by removing oldest stems to encourage productive 2–3 year wood. Partly self-fertile but better crops with a second plant nearby.
- Spreads slowly by suckers in moist soil.
Photo credit: USDA NRCS Montana, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped)