Blackcurrant Wellington - Ribes nigrum

The 'Wellington' Blackcurrant is an early and vigorous variety, offering beautiful clusters of slightly acidic black fruits. Enjoy blackcurrants in juice, jams, pies, or as accompaniment to savory dishes. Plant preferably in autumn, or in spring with regular watering. Harvesting takes place from early July.

The Blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum) or Black Currant belongs to the Grossulariaceae family, like Redcurrants. It is a deciduous shrub native to regions ranging from the Pyrenees to central Asia. Cultivated since the 16th century, Blackcurrants grow spontaneously in the cool woods of northeastern Europe.

The fruits appear on 2-year-old branches and become less common on 4-year-old and older branches. Harvesting takes place when the fruits are fully black and begin to fall to the ground. Wait for the fruits to fully ripen before harvesting them. The 'Wellington' variety offers large clusters with fruits that have a slightly acidic flavour. Blackcurrants are rich in tannins, aromas, vitamins C and C2. They can be consumed fresh in a mixed-berry salad, as juice, syrup, jams or jellies, in pastries (pies, charlottes, and sorbets), or as accompaniment to savoury dishes. They are also used in the production of liqueurs and nectars. Blackcurrants can be dried or frozen, providing a reserve of fruits for the winter.

The Blackcurrant forms a vigorous bush, with an upright, sparsely branched habit, reaching a height of 1.50m (5ft) and a spread of 1m (3ft). The plant reaches its adult size in three years. It is a very hardy shrub, resistant to temperatures as low as -20°C (-4°F) but sensitive to drought in summer. The leaves, deciduous, are large, flat, and composed of three to five lobes with toothed edges, bright green, and pleasantly fragrant when crushed. Leaves, fruits, and buds are intensely fragrant due to the presence of glands containing essential oils, which are used in perfumery. The bark is smooth and reddish on young branches and darkens with age.

Flowering occurs in spring, in the form of small bell-shaped flowers that are often not very visible. It is followed by the formation of large berries with black and shiny skin, gathered in long clusters. Some Blackcurrant varieties are self-fertile, while others require the proximity of another variety for proper pollination. The 'Wellington' variety is self-fertile. It is important in a Blackcurrant plantation, as in any plantation, to alternate varieties and species, when space allows: pollination will be encouraged, even if the variety is self-fertile, and the risk of diseases will be limited. In the garden, create a small gourmet hedge by mixing Blackcurrants, Redcurrants, and Raspberries, for example, along the edge of a vegetable garden or plant the Blackcurrant within a flower shrub bed.