Ribes rubrum London Market - Redcurrant

Redcurrant 'London Market' is an old variety, self-fertile, very hardy, vigorous and productive. The flowering is abundant, quite late, beginning of May, which puts it out of reach of the last frosts. It bears fruit around mid-July, producing long compact clusters, formed of large-sized fruits, with red, juicy and tangy pulp. Easy to grow in non-scorching sun, in well-drained, even poor, soil.

The redcurrant, also called Ribes rubrum, belongs to the Grossulariaceae family. It is a plant cultivated for a long time, which grows spontaneously in many temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, from Europe to Siberia, to Manchuria. 'London Market' is a bushy, non-thorny shrub, with a clump-like habit of slightly stiff, sparse branches, with soft wood and abundant pith. This bush will reach 1.50m (4 to 11ft) in all directions. The foliage is deciduous, composed of palmate, lobed and aromatic, medium green leaves. Flowering takes place in early May, in the form of clusters of small greenish to brownish inconspicuous flowers, intensely visited by bees. The fruiting mainly occurs on one- and two-year-old branches. The shrub is then covered with numerous clusters of small round and translucent berries, initially green then bright red, 8mm (0.3in) in diameter, containing small seeds. Harvest takes place as the fruits ripen, starting from mid-July. Currants have red, juicy and tangy flesh. Currants are low-calorie fruits, (whether white or red), rich in minerals and trace elements as well as potassium, calcium and phosphorus. They also offer a good source of vitamin C and fibre. The yield of this variety is excellent, around 7kg per plant if the growing conditions are good.

Use fresh currants in jelly or pastry, for tart filling or sorbet making. In the garden, this bush, modest for much of the year, becomes attractive when it is laden with its long sanguine clusters in which the summer light plays. The pleasure is threefold, visual and gastronomic, but also olfactory when its warm foliage scents the garden. It pairs well with whitecurrant varieties and gooseberry bushes, but also with shrubs that offer beautiful non-edible fruiting  such as Leycesteria formosa, beautyberries, Nandina domestica and its varieties, Japanese quinces, small-leaved cotoneaster, St. John's wort Magical Beauty, symphorines... For small gardens, or to save space, you can train redcurrant 'London Market' against a wall or grow it as a standard. Note that the currant can very well be included in a terrace orchard, as it behaves quite well in large pots, with a depth of about 40cm, making sure not to water with too hard water.

The wild currant Ribes rubrum has medicinal properties. It is used for the treatment of rheumatism and infectious diseases, especially if the fruits are consumed fresh.