Ben Nevis is a vigorous, upright Scottish blackcurrant that produces heavy crops of large, flavourful berries in mid-season. The fruit has a rich, classic blackcurrant taste that's excellent for fresh eating, baking, juice, jam, and freezing. Highly productive, self-fertile, and exceptionally hardy, Ben Nevis is an easy-to-grow variety that performs well in home gardens across much of Canada.
Blackcurrant plants are deciduous shrubs known for their extremely flavourful and nutritious fruit. Clusters of small, bell-shaped flowers in early spring are followed by glossy, dark purple to black fruit in July.
Ben Nevis fruit ripen all at the same time for easy harvest with a berry scoop, and yield is one of Ben Nevis's strengths. It was bred as a commercial variety and is known for producing heavy, reliable crops of large berries year after year.
Blackcurrants are a different species from red and white currants. Blackcurrants generally form larger bushes, larger fruit and have an overall higher yield.
Common names: Ben Nevis Blackcurrant, Ben Nevis Black currant
Edible: Fruit
Harvest timing: Mid-season (July)
Scientific name: Ribes nigrum 'Ben Nevis'
Light requirements: Full sun to part sun
Full-grown size: 3' tall by 3' wide
Hardiness: Zone 3
Pollination: Self-fertile, but cross-pollination with another variety can increase yields.
Wildlife: Attracts pollinators and fruit attracts birds.
Origin: Bred at the Scottish Crop Research Institute (now the James Hutton Institute) in Dundee, Scotland.
Noteworthy: High yields of large berries.
