How to Grow Red and White Currants: Varieties and Care

Red currants are one of the most beautiful sights in a summer garden: long clusters of translucent red berries hanging among the leaves like beads. Beside them, you will often find white currants, which are actually the exact same species, just sweeter. Growing currants has a long tradition in cool temperate climates. In this part of the berry guide, we cover how red and white currants differ from black ones, which varieties to choose, how to grow the shrubs, their expected yields, and how to preserve the harvest.

Latin name	Ribes rubrum
Family	Gooseberry family (Grossulariaceae)
Origin	Western and Northern Europe
Plant	deciduous shrub, 3–5 ft (1–1.5 m), sometimes up to 6.5 ft (2 m)
Blooms	in spring with inconspicuous yellow-green flowers in clusters
Berries ripen	mid to late summer
Berries	0.3–0.5 inches (8–12 mm), bright red or white, translucent
Yield	6.5–9 lbs (3–4 kg) from a mature bush
Energy value	about 56 kcal per 3.5 oz (100 g)

Identify red currants by their long translucent berry clusters and unscented leaves

The red currant is a deciduous shrub, typically 3–5 ft (1–1.5 m) tall, occasionally reaching 6.5 ft (2 m), with five-lobed leaves. In spring, it produces inconspicuous yellow-green flowers arranged in drooping 1.5–3-inch (4–8 cm) clusters. By summer, these develop into bright red, translucent berries measuring 0.3–0.5 inches (8–12 mm) across. A wild plant's cluster usually holds 3 to 10 berries, while garden cultivars produce much longer strings. The most important difference from the black currant is the foliage: black currant leaves contain fragrant essential oil glands, whereas red currant leaves lack this strong scent.

The red currant grows wild in Western and Northern Europe and is known for its excellent winter hardiness (thriving in USDA zones 3–7) and resistance to mildew. From gardens, it has escaped into the wild, so naturalized bushes can be found throughout Europe and Asia. Botanists generally recognize two main varieties: the downy and the common red currant.

White currants are not a separate species, but a sweeter red currant

Many people consider white currants to be a completely different plant, but botanically, they are simply red currant cultivars with less pigmented berries. They are sometimes sold under different Latin synonyms, yet the plant structure, care requirements, and fruiting times are identical. White currants share the same underlying tartness but are noticeably sweeter, making them a favorite for eating fresh right off the bush. There are also pink-fruited currant varieties available.

Popular varieties include 'Jonkheer van Tets', 'Rondom', and late-season 'Detvan'

Large-fruited red currant varieties were first developed in the 17th century in Belgium and northern France. Many of today's most popular cultivars trace their origins back to Western Europe, particularly France and the Netherlands. When selecting plants for a home garden, there are many excellent, globally recognized red and white currant varieties to choose from. Commercial orchards and home growers alike often rely on proven performers like 'Jonkheer van Tets', 'Rondom', and 'Dutch Red'.

Today's wide selection of cultivars allows gardeners to extend the currant season over several months—from the early-ripening 'Jonkheer van Tets' to late-season, new-generation varieties like 'Detvan', 'Tatran', and 'Slovakia'. For white currants, popular choices include 'Dutch White', 'Smolyaninovskaya', 'Zitavia', 'Werdavia', and 'Heros'. The UK's Royal Horticultural Society has awarded its prestigious Award of Garden Merit to several outstanding varieties, including 'Jonkheer van Tets', 'Red Lake', 'Stanza', and the white-fruited 'White Grape'.

Red currants are undemanding: they thrive in most soils in sun or part shade

Red currants are among the easiest berry bushes to maintain. They grow well in full sun or partial shade and adapt to most soil types. Thanks to their beautiful cascading berry clusters, they are often planted as ornamental edible shrubs. The red currant is self-fertile, but yields are usually heavier when bushes of different varieties are planted nearby, so it is worth growing at least two different cultivars. A mature bush can yield 6.5–9 lbs (3–4 kg) of berries over the summer.

Like black currants, the bushes need regular pruning: remove old, unproductive, dry, or diseased wood to keep the center of the shrub open to light and air circulation. During wet summers, the berries can be susceptible to gray mold (botrytis), so it is important to harvest them on time and not let them overripen on the branches.

3.5 oz (100 g) of red currants provides about 56 calories and 41 mg of vitamin C

Fresh red and white currants consist of about 84% water, 14% carbohydrates, and 1% protein, with almost no fat. A 3.5 oz (100 g) serving contains roughly 56 calories and 41 mg of vitamin C—about 46% of the recommended daily value, though black currants contain several times this amount. The same serving also provides about 4.3 g of dietary fiber. Their tart, slightly astringent taste comes from organic acids and polyphenols: up to 65 different phenolic compounds have been identified in the berries, and their concentration peaks during the final month of ripening.

Preserving red currants for winter: jelly, jam, crushed with sugar, and frozen

Red currants are naturally high in pectin, making them ideal for a firm-setting jelly. In the UK, red currant jelly is a traditional condiment served with lamb, venison, turkey, and goose. Around the world, red currants are frequently crushed with sugar, cooked into jams and compotes, pressed for juice, or fermented into wine. For freezing, the berries should be stripped from their stems, gently dried, and frozen in a single layer on a tray before being transferred to containers.

Red, white, and black currants, gooseberries, and jostaberries: a comparison

Currants, gooseberries, and their hybrid, the jostaberry, all belong to the gooseberry family. Their care is very similar, but the berries differ significantly in color, flavor, and vitamin C content.

Berry	Berry color	Energy value, kcal / 3.5 oz (100 g)	Vitamin C, mg / 3.5 oz (100 g)	Characteristic
Red currants	red, translucent	56	41	long clusters, high pectin
White currants	whitish, translucent	similar	similar	sweeter form of red
Black currants	black, glossy	63	181	fragrant leaves
Gooseberries	green, yellow, red	44	about 28	thorny bush
Jostaberries	almost black	–	high	thornless hybrid

Red currants are prized for their high pectin content, which creates perfectly set jellies, while black currants boast several times more vitamin C than red currants or gooseberries.

Fresh clusters of red and white currants make beautiful garnishes for desserts, cakes, salads, and cocktails, and their tartness perfectly balances sweet baked goods. Red currants are closely related to gooseberries and jostaberries, and they ripen in the same season as raspberries.