This article is about Ribes nigrum, a temperate climate berry bush commonly termed Blackcurrant (Black currant).
Note that Redcurrant and Whitecurrant are a different species called Ribes rubrum, discussed in a separate article (See; Currants).
Taxonomy
Family: Grossulariaceae
Genus: Ribes
Species: R. nigrum
Blackcurrant is therefore closely related to Gooseberry (R. uva-crispa). Jostaberry is a hybrid between R. nigrum, R. uva-crispa and R. divaricatum.
Common Names
- Garden black currant.[1]
Etymology
The word currant used to exclusively refer to the type of dried grape cultivar ("Black Corinth"). It was shortened from the phrase "raysyn of Curans" (late 14c.), from Anglo-French "reisin de Corauntz" or "raisins de Corinthe" (grapes of Corinth), referring to the Greek harbor of Corinth that was the primary source of export. Gradually, the name got corrupted into currant.[2] In circa 1570 the word was also applied to certain berry bushes of Northern Europe, and later applied to plants with similar fruit in America and Australia.[3]
Ribes (pronounced "RYE-bees") is Latin for "currant” (from Arabic rībās meaning "rhubarb"). Nigrum (pronounced "NIGH-grum") is Latin for "black, dark, sable, dusky."
Range
Blackcurrants are very hardy and will thrive only in cool, temperate climates.[4] Their original range was Europe (excluding warmer mediterranean regions) and Northern and Central Asia.
Native to:
Altay, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Buryatiya, Central European Rus, Chita, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, East European Russia, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Irkutsk, Kazakhstan, Krasnoyarsk, Netherlands, North European Russi, Northwest European R, Norway, Poland, Romania, Sweden, Tadzhikistan, Turkmenistan, Tuva, Ukraine, West Siberia, Yakutskiya, Yugoslavia.
Introduced into:
Austria, Connecticut, Falkland Is., Hungary, Illinois, Ireland, Italy, Korea, Magadan, Maine, Maryland, Masachusettes, Michigan, Minnesota, New Brunswick, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Ohio, Ontario, Primorye, Prince Edward I., Québec, Switzerland, Uzbekistan, Vermont, Wisconsin.
[Source= Plants of the World Online][5]
Description
Deciduous, perennial shrub.[6] Mature height 1.5-2m.[6]
Uses
Can be made into alcoholic drinks, see: Household Cyclopedia, Wines and Ciders (1881)
Can be made into jelly.
References
External links
- Wikipedia:Blackcurrant
- Video about growing Blackcurrants by Royal Horticultural Society.[1]
- ↑ Ribes nigrum (Flora of North America).
- ↑ Zante currant (Wikipedia).
- ↑ Currant (Online Etymology Dictionary).
- ↑ Brickell, C; Royal Horticultural Society (2012). Encyclopedia of Gardening. Dorling Kindersley. ISBN 9781409364658.
- ↑ RIbes nigrum (Plants of the World Online).
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Ribes nigrum (Plants For A Future).