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Red Lake Currant (Bundle of 2) | Spring 2027
$54.99
Reliable shipping
Flexible returns
Ripening
Will it finish before your first hard freeze?
Check it on the Ripening Map (opens in a new tab)At a glance: Red Lake Currant is a currant shrub rated hardy to zone 3 from other growers' reports (winters to -40°F), and self-fertile, so one plant can crop.
| Hardy to | Zone 3 to 7. A bare number means the whole of zone 3, colder half included (winters to -40°F). Find your zone with our cold hardiness calculator. |
|---|---|
| Pollination | Self-Fertile. Bloom group 4 of 7 (mid), very early spring here. Red Lake sets fruit on its own, so one plant is enough. A second currant nearby can add to the yield. Bloom group is our estimate from the variety's origin and relatives. Currant & Gooseberry Pollination Chart. |
| Spacing | Plant 4 to 5 ft apart. |
| Good for | Jams and jellies (9/10), juice and sweet cider (7/10), sauce and butter (7/10), cooking and roasting (7/10), pies and baking (6/10), wine (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. |
| Deer | Sometimes damaged by deer. |
| What you get | Bare root, 1-2 ft. Shipped or picked up in Missoula in spring, roots wrapped in moist sawdust. Guaranteed to bud out. |
This is our first year growing Red Lake, so everything below is secondhand until we get more long-term data from our own mother plants.
Overview
Red Lake is the classic red currant out of Minnesota, with big berries on long clusters that are easy to pick. It's been one of the most widely grown red currants in North America for decades, and it's done well in trials right here in Montana.
Origin and History
It was introduced by W.H. Alderman at the University of Minnesota in 1933, and its parentage isn't known. Montana State University's currant guide called it the leading currant variety in North America and noted it produced well in experimental plots at the Montana Agricultural Experiment Station in Bozeman.
Fruit and Uses
The berries are large and bright red, on long clusters that USDA currant researchers describe as easy to pick. MSU calls the flavor mild and pleasant, though some nurseries call it tart. It ripens around mid-July. St. Lawrence Nurseries calls it the "best known variety for jellies, compotes, and fresh eating," and it's good for jam, juice and wine too.
Growth Habit and Spacing
An upright, productive bush in the 3 to 5 foot range. Space plants about 4 to 5 feet apart for easy picking and airflow. Sources disagree on how it handles powdery mildew. On blister rust, UMass Extension says Red Lake is less susceptible than Red Jacket, Green Hansa, Poorman and Pixwell.
Pollination
Red Lake is self-fertile, so one plant will fruit on its own.
Cold Hardiness
Raintree lists it hardy to -40F, the University of Minnesota rates its hardiness excellent to very good, and University of Alaska Fairbanks Extension has seen it grown in Interior Alaska. We've listed it at zone 3.
Shipping restrictions: white pine blister rust quarantine
Currants and gooseberries (Ribes species) are alternate hosts for white pine blister rust. We cannot ship this plant to New Hampshire or North Carolina, where its sale or importation is prohibited by state law. North Carolina prohibits all Ribes statewide, and New Hampshire permits only a short list of named rust-resistant cultivars.
Permit or county-level restrictions also apply in: 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.
Orders placed to a prohibited state will be cancelled and refunded.
Photo credit: USDA-ARS National Plant Germplasm System, National Clonal Germplasm Repository, Corvallis, Oregon, accession PI 556300. Public domain (U.S. government work).
Questions we get about Red Lake Currant
Does Red Lake Currant need a pollenizer?
No. Red Lake Currant is self-fertile, so a single plant can set fruit. A second currant nearby can add to the yield.
How cold hardy is Red Lake Currant?
We list Red Lake Currant at zone 3, which means winters down to about -40°F. That comes from Raintree's -40°F rating and its record in Minnesota and Interior Alaska, not from our own winters yet. We'll update it once our own plants have been through some Montana winters.
What is Red Lake Currant good for?
Our top use scores for Red Lake Currant are jams and jellies (9/10), juice and sweet cider (7/10), sauce and butter (7/10), cooking and roasting (7/10). Since we're still new to it, those scores lean on published descriptions rather than our own harvests. Anything scored 8 or higher makes our Best Of lists.
Will deer eat Red Lake Currant?
Sometimes. Deer browse Red Lake Currant now and then, so protect young plants where deer pressure is high.
What arrives, and when does Red Lake Currant ship?
Two 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.