All six of these redcurrants and whitecurrants hold the RHS award and are hardy anywhere in Scotland. What separates them is when they ripen, how big they grow, how quickly they reach full size and whether they cope with acid soil, and in Scotland the last of those can rule some out.
Quick answer
Jonkheer van Tets for an early crop on almost any soil. Rovada for a late crop on a smaller bush, Blanka for whitecurrants that reach full size soonest, and Red Lake for large, sweet fruit on neutral ground.
What Scotland means for the choice
All six are rated H6The RHS's H1a–H7 scale for how much cold a plant can survive outdoors, H1a being tender indoor-only and H7 hardy anywhere in the UK. Full definition →, hardy to between -20°C and -15°C, and all are self-fertileA plant that can set fruit using its own pollen, without needing a second, different variety nearby to cross-pollinate it. Full definition →, so a single bush fruits on its own. Soil is what can rule some out: much of Scotland's soil is naturally acidic, and two of these, Red Lake and White Grape, tolerate neutral soil only. All six flower in spring, so a late frost can hit any of them; check your area's frost dates. The redcurrant growing guide covers planting, pruning, netting and picking.
| Variety | Type | Ripens | Height x spread | Full size in | Soil |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jonkheer van Tets | Red | June to July | 1.5–2.5m x 1–1.5m | 5–10 years | Acid or neutral |
| Red Lake | Red | From late July | 1.5–2.5m x 1–1.5m | 5–10 years | Neutral only |
| Stanza | Red | Mid-season | 1.5–2.5m x 1–1.5m | 5–10 years | Acid or neutral |
| Rovada | Red | Late summer | 1–1.5m x 1–1.5m | 5–10 years | Acid or neutral |
| Blanka | White | Late season | 1–1.5m x 1–1.5m | 2–5 years | Acid or neutral |
| White Grape | White | Mid-season | 1.5–2.5m x 1–1.5m | 5–10 years | Neutral only |
All six hold the RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGMThe RHS's Award of Garden Merit: a UK-wide trials award for reliable performance, not a Scotland-specific recommendation. Full definition →), a UK-wide award rather than a Scottish one.
Jonkheer van Tets
Jonkheer van Tets gives heavy crops of sweet currants on long strigs, ripening in June and July, one of the earliest of the six. That early crop suits a Scottish season, and it tolerates clay, loam or sand, acid or neutral, and any aspect. It's the safest single choice.
Rovada, Red Lake and Stanza
Rovada is a heavy-cropping, late-summer redcurrant with large, tasty fruit on long strings that are easy to pick. It's one of the two smaller bushes, at 1–1.5m, so it suits a small garden, and paired with Jonkheer van Tets it spreads the harvest across the summer. Red Lake has large, sweet, juicy, dark-red currants from late July, but needs neutral soil. Stanza is a mid-season variety with large, deep-red fruit of good flavour.
The whitecurrants: Blanka and White Grape
Whitecurrants are the same species as redcurrants, grown the same way. Blanka is the one to choose: it reaches full size in 2–5 years, against 5–10 for every other variety here, it's compact at 1–1.5m, and it gives heavy crops of long trussesThe flowering, then fruiting, stem cluster on a tomato plant; each truss ripens its fruit together. Full definition → of large, pearly white berries. White Grape is a mid-season whitecurrant on a larger bush, but like Red Lake it needs neutral soil.
Which one for your situation
- One reliable bush: Jonkheer van Tets.
- Acid soil: Jonkheer van Tets, Rovada, Stanza or Blanka.
- A small garden or a pot: Rovada or Blanka.
- The quickest to reach full size: Blanka.
- A longer picking season: Jonkheer van Tets with Rovada.
- Large, sweet fruit, on neutral soil: Red Lake.
All six can get aphids, powdery mildew, leaf spot, sawfly and grey mould, and birds will strip ripe fruit from any of them, so net the bushes.
Common questions
Which redcurrants suit acid soil?
Jonkheer van Tets, Rovada, Stanza and Blanka tolerate acid or neutral soil. Red Lake and White Grape need neutral soil.
Do I need two bushes for fruit?
No. All six are self-fertile, so one bush of any of them will fruit on its own.
Which currant reaches full size soonest?
Blanka, a whitecurrant, which reaches full size in 2–5 years. The others take 5–10 years.
Sources
Show the 9 sources
- RHS: Redcurrants, grow your own: AGM redcurrants and their descriptions (Jonkheer van Tets, Red Lake, Rovada, Stanza)
- RHS: Whitecurrants, grow your own: Whitecurrants as the same species; AGM whitecurrants (Blanka, White Grape)
- Ribes rubrum 'Jonkheer van Tets': H6, size, ripening, soil, aspect, self-fertile
- Ribes rubrum 'Rovada': Size, ripening, soil, long strings
- Ribes rubrum 'Red Lake': Size, soil
- Ribes rubrum 'Stanza': Size, soil
- Ribes rubrum 'Blanka': Size, time to full size, ripening, soil
- Ribes rubrum 'White Grape': Size, ripening, soil
- Gardener's World: How to grow redcurrants and whitecurrants: Blanka as a heavy-cropping whitecurrant with long trusses of large berries