Ribes nigrum 'Big Ben'PBR (B)
blackcurrant 'Big Ben'
An upright blackcurrant bush for culinary or dessert use, to 1.5m in height. Flowers insignificant ,white; produces a sizeable crop of large sweet shiny black fruit, self-fertile, early season
Buy this plant
- RHS Plants Shop
Size
Ultimate height
1–1.5 metresTime to ultimate height
2–5 yearsUltimate spread
1–1.5 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Moist but well–drainedpH
NeutralColour & scent
| Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
| Spring | White | Green | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Green | Black | ||
| Autumn | Green | |||
| Winter |
Position
- Full sun
Aspect
East–facing or North–facing or South–facing or °Â±ð²õ³Ù–f²¹³¦¾±²Ô²µ
Exposure
Sheltered Hardiness
H6Botanical details
- Family
- Grossulariaceae
- Native to GB / Ireland
- No
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Habit
- Columnar upright
- Genus
Ribes can be deciduous or evergreen shrubs, sometimes spiny, with simple, usually palmately lobed leaves and small tubular or bell-shaped, solitary or racemose flowers borne in spring or summer, followed by juicy, sometimes edible berries
- Name status
Accepted
- Horticultural Group
- This genus produces blackcurrants
How to grow
Cultivation
Grow as a stooled bush. Mulch with well rotted manure or compost. Add a general fertilizer and additional nitrogen if necessary, see our Blackcurrant page for more growing tips
Propagation
Propagate by hardwood cuttings
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- Cottage and informal garden
- Wildlife gardens
- Edible fruit
Pruning
Renewal pruning in the dormant season
Pests
May be susceptible to gall mites, gall midges, aphids and reversion
Diseases
May be susceptible to a leaf spot, powdery mildews, coral spot and sometimes honey fungus
Ribes nigrum 'Big Ben'PBR (B)
blackcurrant 'Big Ben'
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