Red Jostaberry

Ribes × nidigrolaria ‘Red Jostaberry’

BLACK CURRANT-GOOSEBERRY HYBRIDS ARE PROHIBITED TO DE, ME, NC, NJ, WV, VA, MI, MA, OH& RI. Rust resistant varieties may be shipped to OH & MI (with Permit)

Like a standard jostaberry, Red Jostaberry is selected from complex crosses between European gooseberry, American coastal black gooseberry, and European black currant. This selection, however, sports fruit that is a bit more red-colored than Jostaberry when mature. The bush is vigorous and mostly upright and may produce larger crops when pollinated by Jostaberry or another black currant. The berries are larger than a black currant, almost the size of a gooseberry. Their sweet-tart flavor resembles black currant but without the muskiness; enjoy them fresh or cooked (jams, jellies, dried, or pies) or freeze them for later!

It is early to leaf out each spring, thornless and easy-to-grow; resistant to both powdery mildew and white pine blister rust. It fruits on older wood, so keep the many young shoots on established branches cut short once the bush gets to the size and shape you prefer.  Productive in both sun and shade, it will perform better with some afternoon shade in hotter summer areas. Cold hardy to USDA Zone 3.