Flowering currant mystery

Gardening to 'grow your own food' from square foot to half an acre !!
Post Reply
User avatar
Spreckly
Legendary Laner
Posts: 5826
Joined: 26 Mar 2011, 14:21

Flowering currant mystery

Post by Spreckly »

Years ago, my husband took cuttings from a local flowering currant bush, and the result has been a beautiful shrub. It desperately needed pruning, so on the dog's last toilet trip yesterday, I took cutters and pruned it back. It had green fruits on it, with some turning black. To my astonishment, they smelled like blackcurrant fruits. I daren't try one though!
User avatar
lancashire lass
Legendary Laner
Posts: 6527
Joined: 28 Jun 2007, 15:17

Re: Flowering currant mystery

Post by lancashire lass »

You'll find many flowering types of fruiting trees and bushes are exactly what they say they are. However, the flower is usually at the expense of the fruit so sometimes they are not as tasty as the fruiting varieties for eating. There is the possibility that the flowering version may be a hybrid with a different tree or bush (for example, a Jostaberry is an edible berry which is a cross between a blackcurrant and gooseberry) but I wouldn't like to say in the case of your flowering type. I probably might not want to eat it either, only because I wouldn't know for sure if it is edible. It might well be safe to eat but if you got it as a cutting, then there is that uncertainty.
User avatar
Mo
Legendary Laner
Posts: 15368
Joined: 30 Apr 2007, 09:39
Location: Cheshire (nr Chester)

Re: Flowering currant mystery

Post by Mo »

I always think that flowering currants (the flowers or bushes) smell of cats.
Dance caller. http://mo-dance-caller.blogspot.co.uk/p/what-i-do.html
Sunny Clucker enjoyed Folk music and song in mid-Cheshire
User avatar
Spreckly
Legendary Laner
Posts: 5826
Joined: 26 Mar 2011, 14:21

Re: Flowering currant mystery

Post by Spreckly »

Yes Mo, they do smell of cats. I remember my Mother cutting some and bringing them indoors to put in a vase. They were thrown out quite quickly!
Post Reply