Red Lake Currant Plant

Red Lake Currant is one of the most popular and productive red currant varieties available — heavy-bearing bushes that yield generous clusters of large, dark red berries in July with a sweet, bright flavor that’s outstanding for fresh eating and genuinely exceptional for jellies, preserves, tarts, and muffins. The berries hold on the bush exceptionally well after ripening, giving home growers flexibility in harvest timing without sacrificing fruit quality. Cold hardy to Zone 3, partial shade tolerant, and self-pollinating — Red Lake is the dependable red currant choice for home gardens.

Note: Do not plant within 900 feet of white pines — currants can host white pine blister rust, a fungal disease harmful to pines.

Heavy-Bearing Clusters With Exceptional Bush Holding Quality

Red Lake’s productivity is one of its defining characteristics — attractive, heavy-bearing bushes that yield generous crops of dark red currants year after year. The berries hold well on the bush after ripening, which gives home growers a practical advantage: you can harvest at your convenience rather than racing a narrow ripening window. That holding quality also means more of the crop ends up where you want it rather than falling before you can get to it.

Outstanding for Preserving — The Classic Currant

Red currants are one of the most versatile and rewarding fruits for the home kitchen, and Red Lake’s sweet, bright flavor makes it the variety that delivers those results most consistently. The clear, jewel-red jelly that red currants produce is visually stunning and genuinely delicious — a true artisan pantry staple. The berries are equally outstanding for preserves, tarts, muffins, and sauces, and good enough fresh off the bush to reward grazing straight through the patch.

Partial Shade Tolerant — More Flexible Siting

Unlike most fruiting plants, Red Lake Currant tolerates partial shade — a meaningful advantage for home gardens where full-sun spots are in high demand. That flexibility allows it to occupy shadier areas where other berry plants would underperform, making better use of the full garden without sacrificing productivity.

Why Growers Choose Red Lake

• Heavy-bearing and productive — generous July clusters year after year
• Berries hold well on the bush — harvest at your convenience
• Outstanding for jellies, preserves, tarts, and muffins — the classic currant kitchen experience
• Cold hardy to Zone 3 — one of the most cold-tolerant fruiting shrubs available
• Partial shade tolerant — flexible siting in home gardens
• Self-pollinating — productive with just one planting