Ribes americanum Variegatum

Ribes americanum Variegatum is an American blackcurrant bush also known as American Gooseberry. This form has beautiful variegated foliage, delicate and splashed with white. It develops a bushy habit, with a spreading, deciduous growth and spring flowering in pendulous clusters of delicately scented yellow flowers, followed in summer, between June and August, by the formation of edible black fruits. Hardy to -20°C, it willingly settles in partial shade to highlight its foliage, which is also very aromatic, and protect it from the scorching sun. Rich in vitamin C, its fruit also contains anthocyanin pigments, useful for vision disorders.

Ribes americanum or blackcurrant or black gooseberry belongs to the Grossulariaceae family. This species is native to North America where it is found in the states of New Brunswick, Delaware, Virginia, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, and New Mexico. The Variegatum variety forms a very dense deciduous bush that has dense vegetation, with a bushy and spreading habit and reaches an average height of 1.80m to 2m in all directions at maturity. The hairy young shoots evolve into thornless branches. In April-May, after the leaves have emerged, pendulous clusters of numerous small yellow flowers with a slight fragrance appear. The flowers are followed in summer by small cylindrical black fruits. The foliage develops early in spring. The light green to pure green leaves, measure 5 to 7 cm and are composed of 3 to 5 toothed lobes, with a pleasant odour. They take on a beautiful red and yellow colouration in autumn.

Plant Ribes americanum Variegatum in ordinary, deep, even limestone, rich and moist soil. Note that this American species is quite tolerant to drought. This variegated variety thrives in partial shade. This blackcurrant bush finds a place in all gardens, in an informal or countryside hedge, shrub borders or even as a standalone plant. Create an edible hedge by mixing your favourite small fruits along the vegetable garden border. Even though it is a nourishing bush, you can plant it in a flower bed with shrubs that bloom in spring like Lilacs, mock oranges, Deutzias, and some perennials like Japanese Anemones that bloom at the same time as it bears fruit. Plant some heucheras with various colours at its base, in harmony with its autumn foliage. Finally, to fully enjoy its flowers and fragrance, you can cut budding branches that will bloom in a vase in the house.