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Plant identification- blackcurrant?

lgraham2812lgraham2812 Posts: 14
in Fruit & veg
Hi there,

I need help identifying this shrub. Is it blackcurrant? Also, is there anything else it could possibly be? Keen to not poison myself eating the berries 😅

Thanks

Lisa



Posts

  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    IMO, definitely a blackcurrant, judging by the size of and way the berries are carried.  There are a few hybrids like Jostaberry but those tend to have larger fruit.
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • josusa47josusa47 Posts: 3,530
    Did it have showy pink flowers before the fruit formed?  It could be a flowering currant, which looks very similar.  Its fruit is edible, but doesn't taste of very much.
  • lgraham2812lgraham2812 Posts: 14
    Thanks so much both! No flowers at all, so perhaps a non-flowering currant. I haven't seen many birds near the shrub which worried me regarding whether the berries are edible, but perhaps they simply haven't discovered it!
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    All Ribes berries are edible (although as @josusa47 said, some don't taste very nice) and those are 100% Ribes species leaves so don't be worried about poisoning.  Time to taste one..
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • LiriodendronLiriodendron Posts: 8,328
    It absolutely looks like an edible blackcurrant to me...
    Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    It does have flowers but they don't exactly shout "I'm a flower"  No flowers , no fruit.
  • lgraham2812lgraham2812 Posts: 14
    Thanks very much all!

    I can't remember a time when I've had a raw blackcurrant, but they're pretty sour so seem about right!

    I'll keep an eye out for the flowers next year!
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