Currants and gooseberries

A collection of Lithuanian currant and gooseberry varieties and the most valuable Lithuanian hybrids, reflecting the history of breeding in Lithuania; varieties of foreign origin with the most valuable economic and biological characteristics and specimens representing the species diversity of the genus.

Currants and gooseberries belong to the gooseberry family (Grossulariaceae DC.), genus Ribes L., with about 150 species. They are perennial summer-green shrubs that grow up to 2m tall and 1,5m or more wide, with thornless or spiny branches. Their leaves are simple, lobed, and composed of 3-5 lobes. Some leaves (e.g., blackcurrant) have glands on the underside of the leaf that secrete essential oils. Plants of this genus blooms from April to May with reddish-green or white flowers, which are concentrated in clusters. The fruit is a juicy berry, which comes in a variety of colors, naked or hairy, ovoid, oval or drop-shaped. The fruit ripens from June to July.

Currants and gooseberries are widespread in Europe, Asia, North America, and North Africa. The fruits, leaves and buds of these plants are used in the food industry, pharmacy, and cosmetology.

As the science of breeding advances and new scientific advances are applied, so too does plant genetic diversity. VU Botanical Garden has a collection of plants of this genus, with the aim of gathering nominal Lithuanian varieties and the most valuable Lithuanian hybrids, reflecting the history of breeding in Lithuania, as well as varieties of foreign origin with valuable economic and biological characteristics. The aim is also to assemble a collection of currant and gooseberry specimens representing the species diversity of this genus.

Blackcurrants have been cultivated in Europe since the Middle Ages. In the 15th century, they were already cultivated as a food crop. Gooseberries were first described in Basel in 1542.

In Lithuania, blackcurrant varieties were already cultivated before the Second World War, and their breeding was started by I. Štaras in Kaunas in 1946. When VU Botanical Garden in Kairėnai was established in 1974, dr. A. Ryliškis, a well-known gooseberry and currant breeder, was invited to work there. Before starting work in the garden, he worked at the Vytėnai support point in Rojus, Ignalina district. In 1975, the first plants of the genus currant were planted in the Experimental Pomology Department of VU Botanical Garden. Part of the currant and gooseberry collection was transported to VU Botanical Garden from Rojus. Full of new ideas, the breeder and his colleagues collected and crossed different varieties of currants and gooseberries from different sub-genera. Letters with seeds and parcels with seedlings arrived from all over the then Soviet Union. Thousands of seedlings were produced every year. Thanks to painstaking and persistent work, 6 varieties of blackcurrant were developed in 1984 and 6 new varieties of gooseberry a few years later. Currently, the currant collection contains 386 taxa.

Since currants and gooseberries differ considerably in terms of yield, resistance to diseases and pests, prickliness, berry color, size and flavor, and cluster length, these economic and biological characteristics are taken into account in the selection of the collection.

		*Red currant (Ribes rubrum* L.) 'Fertӧdi 56 Piros'** The shrubs are tall, about 1.50m height, with a low spreading habit. Leaves are large, green. Shoots are thick, reddish-white, some of which have flattened bark. Blooms in May. The berry cluster is long (12-14cm), rare, with 12-26 berries which are bright red, medium-sized (berry weight ca. 0,6g), with a sweet or sour taste, ripening in mid-late July. Produces abundantly - 4-5kg per bush. The variety is resistant to torch blight and downy mildew.
		*Blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum* L.) 'Lentiaj'** Shrubs are about 1.40m tall, moderately spreading. Leaves are three-lobed, green. Shoots are medium thick, light brown. Blooms in the beginning-mid May. Berry cluster medium length. Berries are large (1,8-2,5g), rounded, black in color, with good flavor, ripening in mid-July. The variety is quite resistant to fungal diseases. Developed in Russia by crossing varieties 'Bredtorp' x 'Minaj Šmyriov'.
		*Gooseberry (Ribes uva-crispa* L.) 'Izabela'** Shrubs are 2m or higher, dense, broad, slightly spreading. Shoots and branches are spiny, with 1-2 spines of medium length. Leaves dark green. Flowers 1-2, white. Blooms from the end of April to the beginning of May. Berries are small (berry weight approx. 3g), round or slightly oval, purple, thin-skinned with a waxy coating, sweet, with a very pleasant, savory flavor, ripening in mid-July. The variety is resistant to fungal diseases and is very prolific, yielding 10-18kg per bush. Developed in Russia by crossing 'Whinham's Industry' with Ribes arcuatum.
		*Golden currant (Ribes aureum Pursh)* The shrubs are tall, about 2.5m or higher, and slightly spreading at the top. The shoots are thin, red-brown. Leaves are three-lobed, sometimes five-lobed. The flowers are yellow, concentrated in 5-15 erect or oblique clusters, with a pleasant scent. The shrubs flower profusely, ripening of the berries starts in mid-July and lasts until the end of August. The berries vary greatly in color, shape, and size. The berries are black, yellow, red, brown, and amber in color. They may be the size of a currant or gooseberry, round, oval, cylindrical or drop-shaped. The berries have a pleasant flavor with a certain spice. Homeland is North America.