Ribes nigrum 'Cassissima' (Green Life)

The Green Life Blackcurrant bush is a recent variety that stands out from other blackcurrant varieties with its green fruits. The anthocyanins that give the usual red-black colour to blackcurrants are absent in this variety, leaving room for green chlorophyll. This does not deprive the fruits of their pronounced blackcurrant flavour, which is sweet and slightly sugary. A few fruits in the mouth are enough to spread all the aromatic flavours of the pulp. They are ideal for fresh consumption, making jellies or jams, baking pastries, or accompanying savoury dishes.

The Green Life Blackcurrant bush, very hardy (up to -25°C (-13°F)), prefers a sunny but not scorching exposure or partial shade. It is easy to cultivate and maintain in well-drained, cool soil that is not constantly wet. Planting can be done from October to March for a harvest starting mid-July.

The Ribes nigrum Cassissima 'Green Life' is a variety originating from Finland, where it is called 'Venny'. It has been taken up by a Swiss company named 'Green Life', which is more commercial. It is part of the Cassissima range, a range of blackcurrant varieties selected for their high yields, fleshy fruits with a high sugar content, on vigorous and disease-resistant plants. It forms a bushy, non-thorny bush with a tufted habit of slightly stiff, sparsely branched branches, whose wood is soft and has abundant pith. This very hardy bush reaches a height of 1.50 m (5ft) and a spread of 1.20 m (4ft). The deciduous foliage is composed of palmate, lobed, medium-green leaves. It is exceptionally aromatic and pleasantly fragrant when crushed. Leaves, fruits, and buds are intensely fragrant due to the presence of glands containing essential oils used in perfumery. This blackcurrant variety blooms in April in clusters of small greenish to brownish flowers, relatively insignificant but intensely visited by bees. Fruit development mainly occurs on 2- and 3-year-old branches and is rarer on older ones. It ripens around mid-July and produces clusters of 3 to 5 green berries with translucent skin and flesh, of medium size, measuring 0.6 to 0.9 cm (0in) in diameter, with fleshy and juicy, sweet pulp and pleasant flavours, with a slight hint of acidity. When ripe, the berries turn black, round, and filled with juicy flesh, containing very few tiny seeds.

The 'Green Life' Blackcurrant bush is self-fertile, so it does not need a companion to bear fruit, but having another variety nearby will increase production. The harvest is spread out as the fruits ripen and is made easier by the size of the berries. A Blackcurrant bush produces about 3 to 5 kg of fruit per plant, depending on the age and growing conditions of the plant. All Blackcurrant varieties are rich in vitamin C, antioxidants, minerals, trace elements, potassium, calcium, and phosphorus, making them true health assets. Furthermore, they are among the least energy-intensive small fruits (50 kcal per 100 g). Freshly consumed, they are rich in nutrients. They can also make jellies, jams, pies, cakes, sorbets, ice creams, and milkshakes. They are perfect for accompanying fruit salads, red meats, or as a small touch in composed salads. They can also be transformed into juice, syrups, and liqueur to flavour Kirs, cocktails, and Sangria.

In summer, the Blackcurrant bush adds a decorative touch to your garden with its clusters of black berries. To create an edible hedge, you can pair it with Redcurrants, Raspberries, or other small fruit varieties. It is essential in a blackcurrant plantation, as in any plantation, to alternate species and varieties where possible. This promotes pollination, even if the variety is self-fertile, and reduces the risk of disease. Cultivating it in a pot is possible, but you must choose a container at least 40 cm (16in) high and regularly water with non-limestone water.