{"product_id":"black-velvet-gooseberry-bundle-of-2","title":"Black Velvet Gooseberry (Bundle of 2)","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"mft-facts\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAt a glance:\u003c\/strong\u003e Black Velvet Gooseberry is a gooseberry shrub rated hardy to zone 3 from other growers' reports (winters to -40°F), and self-fertile, so one plant can crop.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ctable class=\"mft-facts-table\"\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eHardy to\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eZone 3 to 7. A bare number means the whole of zone 3, colder half included (winters to -40°F). Find your zone with our \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/cold-hardiness-calculator\"\u003ecold hardiness calculator\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003ePollination\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSelf-Fertile. Bloom group 3 of 7 (early-mid), very early spring here. Black Velvet sets fruit on its own, so one plant will crop. A second gooseberry variety nearby can give larger fruit set. Bloom group is our estimate from the variety's origin and relatives. \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/currant-gooseberry-pollination-chart\"\u003eCurrant \u0026amp; Gooseberry Pollination Chart\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eGood for\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eFresh eating (8\/10), pies and baking (7\/10), jams and jellies (7\/10), canning and freezing (6\/10). Scores are our 1 to 10 ratings, but we're still new to this one, so they lean on published descriptions and other growers rather than our own harvests. 8 and up makes our Best Of lists.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eDeer\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eRarely bothered by deer.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eWhat you get\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBare root, 1-2 ft. Shipped or picked up in Missoula in spring, roots wrapped in moist sawdust. Guaranteed to bud out.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\n\u003ch3 style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eOverview\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eBlack Velvet is a hybrid of gooseberry and Worcesterberry, described as having medium, dark red, sweet, high-quality fruit with a superb, almost blueberry-like flavor. This is our first year growing it, so we don’t have our own cold hardiness data for Montana yet, and the zone 3 rating above comes from other growers’ reports. We suspect it should be hardy to at least Zone 4, given half of its gooseberry parentage, but if you’re in a colder climate than Zone 4, we recommend sticking with other varieties for now.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003ePlant Size \u0026amp; Age\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThese Black Velvet Gooseberries are the large grade and are currently in 1-gallon pots, but will be bare rooted for Spring 2027. They are 3 years old.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"border:1px solid #cfcfcf;border-left:4px solid #8a1c1c;background:#faf7f6;padding:14px 18px;margin-top:28px;\"\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin:0 0 10px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShipping restrictions: white pine blister rust quarantine\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin:0 0 10px;\"\u003eGooseberries and currants (\u003cem\u003eRibes\u003c\/em\u003e species) are alternate hosts for white pine blister rust. We \u003cstrong\u003ecannot ship this plant to New Hampshire or North Carolina\u003c\/strong\u003e, where its sale or importation is prohibited by state law. North Carolina prohibits all \u003cem\u003eRibes\u003c\/em\u003e statewide; New Hampshire permits only a short list of named rust-resistant cultivars, which does not include this variety.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin:0 0 10px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePermit or county-level restrictions also apply in:\u003c\/strong\u003e Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and West Virginia (prohibited in specific counties or townships) and Delaware, Michigan, and Rhode Island (state permit required). Please check your local rules before ordering.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin:0;font-size:0.9em;color:#555;\"\u003eOrders placed to a prohibited state will be cancelled and refunded.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"mft-faq\"\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eQuestions we get about Black Velvet Gooseberry\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eDoes Black Velvet Gooseberry need a pollenizer?\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo. Black Velvet Gooseberry is self-fertile, so a single plant can set fruit. A second gooseberry variety nearby can give larger fruit set.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eHow cold hardy is Black Velvet Gooseberry?\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe list Black Velvet Gooseberry at zone 3, which means winters down to about -40°F. We're still new to it, so that rating comes from other growers' reports rather than our own winters, and we'd be cautious with it below zone 4 for now. We'll adjust it as our own plants go through more Montana winters.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eWhat is Black Velvet Gooseberry good for?\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOur top use scores for Black Velvet Gooseberry are fresh eating (8\/10), pies and baking (7\/10), jams and jellies (7\/10), canning and freezing (6\/10). Since we're still new to it, those scores lean on published descriptions and other growers rather than our own harvests. Anything scored 8 or higher makes our Best Of lists.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eWill deer eat Black Velvet Gooseberry?\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRarely. Deer seldom bother Black Velvet Gooseberry, though a hungry winter deer will try almost anything.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eWhat arrives, and when does Black Velvet Gooseberry ship?\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTwo dormant bare-root plants, roots wrapped in moist sawdust with a vapor barrier, shipped or picked up in Missoula in spring. Sizes offered: 1-2 ft. We guarantee our plants bud out. Stone fruits can be slow, so if one still has not budded out by August 15, write to us and we credit you for the following spring.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n","brand":"Montana Fruit Trees","offers":[{"title":"1-2 ft.","offer_id":42498924314690,"sku":null,"price":59.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0626\/5687\/2514\/files\/black-velvet-gooseberry-fruit.webp?v=1789019220","url":"https:\/\/www.montanafruittrees.com\/products\/black-velvet-gooseberry-bundle-of-2","provider":"Montana Fruit Trees","version":"1.0","type":"link"}