Black Currant 'Hilltop Baldwin'

The federal ban on importing Ribes plants into the US may have been lifted, but fourteen (14!) states (mostly in the northeast and upper ...Read Moremidwest) still have varying restrictions on planting various Ribes.

This species is an alternate host to white pine blister rust, a serious problem for a major timber crop in the east. Some Ribes species and some Ribes cultivars of susceptible species are resistant to the disease.

Before planting this in the east and upper midwest, consult your state's Department of Natural Resources to find out whether planting this species is legal.

Very easy to care for, given the right location (we have a row of Hilltop Baldwins, interspersed with Minai Smeriou blackcurrant bushes, ...Read Moreon the E side of our house). Fruits make delicious jam and are not bothered by pests here. The only challenge is keeping them watered in the Chicagoland summer heat. We have set up soaker hoses underneath mulch and that seems to work well.