Ribes rubrum 'Red Perfection' (Red Currant)

Red Perfection is a Ribes rubrum red currant, the classic European garden currant grown for centuries for its bright translucent berries on long pendulous strigs. The fruit is sharp and refreshing, beloved for jellies, cordials, and the traditional British summer pudding, and the plants are compact, productive, and easy.

Red currants are excellent in the Pacific Northwest. Plant in full sun to part shade, they appreciate dappled afternoon shade in hotter inland zones, on cool moist soil with steady summer water. They are self-fertile, so a single bush will fruit, and they crop reliably from year three onward. Prune in late winter to keep an open vase shape with a balanced mix of one-, two-, and three-year-old wood; remove anything older than four years.

White pine blister rust warning: Ribes species are an alternate host for white pine blister rust (Cronartium ribicola) and should not be planted near western white pine (Pinus monticola) or eastern white pine (Pinus strobus). Check your county's regulations before planting. Red currants are otherwise deer-resistant, low-pest, and one of the easiest small fruits in the home garden.

If you're considering native fruiting alternatives that support PNW birds and ecology, look at Vaccinium ovatum (Evergreen Huckleberry), Vaccinium parvifolium (Red Huckleberry), Rubus parviflorus (Thimbleberry), Rubus spectabilis (Salmonberry), or Amelanchier alnifolia (Saskatoon). These provide bird food, pollinator support, and Indigenous food heritage in your landscape.