Side by side
Jostaberry or blackcurrant? How to tell them apart
Ribes × nidigrolaria · Ribes nigrum
How to tell them apart – jostaberry: vigorous, thornless currant bush with glossy lobed leaves and black berries in clusters of 3–5, halfway between blackcurrant and gooseberry; blackcurrant: smaller berries in longer clusters, and leaves that smell strongly when crushed.
Photo: Simon Eugster --– Simon / ?! 11:18, 28 June 2007 (UTC), CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Jostaberry Ribes × nidigrolaria
How do you recognise them?
- Jostaberry
- Vigorous, thornless currant bush with glossy lobed leaves and black berries in clusters of 3–5, halfway between blackcurrant and gooseberry.
- Blackcurrant
- Spineless currant bush whose leaves and twigs smell strongly; black berries in strings.
- Compared with jostaberry: smaller berries in longer clusters, and leaves that smell strongly when crushed.
| Jostaberry | Blackcurrant | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Alternate, 3–5-lobed, toothed, 5–8 cm, glossy dark green; hardly smells when crushed. | Alternate, 3–5-lobed, toothed, 5–10 cm; yellow glands underneath that smell strongly when crushed. |
| Flowering | Small, reddish, hanging flowers in April (April). | Hanging strings of small greenish-red flowers in April (April–May). |
| Fruit | Black berries (1.5–2 cm) in short clusters of 3–5, July. | Black berries (blackcurrants) in July. |
| Bark | Light brown, thornless twigs. | Light brown and smooth. |
| Shape and height | Shrub, 1.5–2 m | Shrub, 1–2 m |
| Site | Sun or partial shade, any garden soil, normal | Sun or partial shade, any garden soil, moist to wet |
| Native to Belgium | No, planted | Yes |
| Good for bees, butterflies and birds | – | Yes, for bees and birds |
| Poisonous to people and pets | Not known to be poisonous | Not known to be poisonous |
| Pruning months | August and November–February | August and November–February |
What does it mean for your garden?
- Blackcurrant is native: it feeds more insects and birds than a non-native species. If in doubt, choose this one.
Read on
- Plant profile: Jostaberry
- Plant profile: Blackcurrant
- Jostaberry: when and how to prune
- Blackcurrant: when and how to prune
- Identification key
Also looks like
Identify by feature
This comparison is compiled from the Bladwijzer species pages.