Flowering currant, cute blooming

Red flowers hang in dense bunches along the branches from mid to late spring, and a line of flowering currant (Ribes sanguineum) turns into a true “wall of flowers”. Hardy down to 5°F (-15°C) and quick to grow, it asks only for full sun and a prune once the blooming is over to flower better each year.

Flowering currant at a glance

Name	Ribes sanguineum
Family	Grossulariaceae
Type	Shrub
Height	3 to 10 feet (1 to 3 m)
Exposure	Full sun
Soil	Ordinary
Foliage	Deciduous
Flowering	Mid→end spring

Easy to care for, planting and pruning will help you boost its growth and bear beautiful flowers.

Planting flowering currant

Favor planting in fall or in spring but avoid freezing temperatures or high temperatures.

• Follow the Nature-and-Garden tips on how to plant a shrub.

In a hedge, space each plant at least 30 inches (80 cm) apart.

Propagating flowering currant

It is very easy to propagate flowering currant through cuttings at the end of winter.

• Collect the cuttings around early spring.
• Remove lower leaves, keeping only the topmost one or two pairs at the crest.
• Dip the base of the cuttings in powdered rooting agents.
• Transplant directly in the ground in a blend of cutting soil mix and garden soil.

Water abundantly during the first year to make sure it settles in well.

Occasionally, you might notice seeds sprouting from fallen seeds. Transplant them to a pot to plant elsewhere or give away to friends!

Pruning flowering currant

Like most flowering shrubs, pruning serves to increase foliage density and enhance flowering year after year.

• Flowering currant can live for two to three decades.
• After that, it may lose its vigor, even if you prune it diligently.

1st pruning flowering currant after planting

For the first year, only light pruning is needed that will guide the shrub into producing more stems.

No need to prune drastically, the flowering currant might suffer from it.

• Simply snip an inch (a couple centimeters) or so off the tip of all branches.

Maintenance pruning of flowering currant

This is a regular pruning that can be repeated yearly, that increases the blooming and the growth of the shrub.

• After the blooming, cut branches that have born flowers back to ⅔.
• Cut back those branches that did not bear flowers to about half.
• Follow our advice on pruning shrubs.

Finally, to recover a tightly-bound silhouette and avoid it growing sparse at the foot, you can prune drastically after a couple years.

Diseases and parasites that attack flowering currant

Even though it is quite hardy, flowering currant does nonetheless fall victim to certain diseases and parasites such as powdery mildew and aphids.

• Here is how to fend off powdery mildew, the fine layer of white mold developing on leaves.

 

• Here is how to fight aphids off, those insects that invade leaves.

• Powdery mildew takes hold where branches crowd, so thin the centre of the shrub to let air move through.
• Red puckered blisters on the upper side of the leaves are the sign of currant blister aphid, which disfigures foliage but rarely threatens an established flowering currant.

Which flowering currant to choose

Three named varieties stand out, and the choice comes down to flower colour and how the shrub fills out. Here is what separates them.

All three are grown the same way, in full sun and ordinary soil.

• Flowering currant Ribes sanguineum ‘King Edward VII’ stays more compact than the plain species, with deeper red flowers, making it a safer pick for a small garden or a large terrace pot.
• Some shrubs have foliage that gives off a pungent, blackcurrant-like smell when brushed against, so check the scent of a particular variety before planting it along a narrow path.

Learn more about flowering currant

Hardy to the cold and freezing, it can cope with temperatures dropping down to 5°F (-15°C).

This shrub has the advantage of flowering abundantly in bunches, and this creates a true “wall of flowers” when planted as a hedge.

But it is also liked just as much when standing isolated in the garden, in shrub beds and even in pots or garden boxes on a terrace or balcony.

It is hardy and grows fast, which makes it an easy shrub to grow that will reward you with quick results.

Remarkable flowering currant varieties

• Ribes sanguineum ‘King Edward VII’ – late flowers that are bright red.
• Ribes sanguineum ‘Koja’ – dense vegetation and nice red flowers.

A white-flowered variety also stands out:

• Ribes sanguineum ‘White icicle’ – big bunches of white flowers.

Read also:

• Other shrubs for a flowered hedge

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