top of page

Black currant
Invasive Species Information

Black current Biodiversity Medium Risk Invasive Species 14

What Is Black currant - (Ribes nigrum)?

Habitat: Terrestrial
Distribution in Ireland

Status: Established

Family name: Grossulariaceae

Reproduction: Flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees or itself as the plant is self-fertile.

Black current Biodiversity Medium Risk Invasive Species 14

Black currant fruit

Black current Biodiversity Medium Risk Invasive Species 14

Ribes nigrum, the blackcurrant is a medium-sized shrub, growing to 1.5 metres tall by 1.5 metres wide.

 

The leaves are alternate, simple, 3 to 5 cm broad and long with five palmate lobes and a serrated margin. All parts of the plant are strongly aromatic.

 

The flowers are produced in racemes known as "strigs" up to 8 cm  long containing ten to twenty flowers, each about 8 mm in diameter. Each flower has a hairy calyx with yellow glands, the five lobes of which are longer than the inconspicuous petals.

Black currant flower

Black currants are prized for their strong aroma, flavor, and high vitamin C content. Some cultivars, particularly those that are purely Ribes nigrum, are highly susceptible to WPBR. Resistance has been developed in cultivars by crossing with Ribes nigrum and Ribes ussurienses

How To Identify Black currant?

Black current Biodiversity Medium Risk Invasive Species 14

Black currant - Ribes nigrum flowers

Leaf: alternate, simple, 3 to 5 cm broad and long with five palmate lobes and a serrated margin.
Flower: Pinkish flower has a hairy calyx with yellow glands and five lobes

Smell: All parts of the plant are strongly aromatic

Black current Biodiversity Medium Risk Invasive Species 14

Black currant leaves

Black current Biodiversity Medium Risk Invasive Species 14

Black currant buds

Why Is Black currant A Problem?

Black currant is an alien (non-native) invasive plant and serves as an alternate hosts for the fungus Cronartium ribicola, which causes white pine blister rust (WPBR), a serious disease of white pine, an important forest and landscape tree. 

European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011 non-native invasive plant species A-Z (Updated 2017)

There are currently 35 invasive plant species listed in the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations (annex 2, Part 1)...

 

Click on a species from the following list to find out more regarding non-native species subject to restrictions under Regulations 49 and 50.

  1. American Skunk-CabbageLysichiton americanus

  2. Brazilian Giant-RhubarbGunnera manicata

  3. Broad-Leaved RushJuncus planifolius

  4. Cape PondweedAponogeton distachyos

  5. Cord-GrassesSpartina (all species and hybrids)

  6. Curly Waterweed - Lagarosiphon major

  7. Dwarf Eel-GrassZostera japonica

  8. FanwortCabomba caroliniana

  9. Floating PennywortHydrocotyle ranunculoides

  10. Fringed Water-LilyNymphoides peltata

  11. Giant HogweedHeracleum mantegazzianum

  12. Giant KnotweedFallopia sachalinensis

  13. Giant-RhubarbGunnera tinctoria

  14. Giant SalviniaSalvinia molesta

  15. Himalayan BalsamImpatiens glandulifera

  16. Himalayan KnotweedPersicaria wallichii

  17. Hottentot-FigCarpobrotus edulis

  18. Japanese KnotweedFallopia japonica

  19. Large-Flowered WaterweedEgeria densa

  20. Mile-a-Minute WeedPersicaria perfoliata

  21. New Zealand PigmyweedCrassula helmsii

  22. Parrots FeatherMyriophyllum aquaticum

  23. Red AlgaGrateloupia doryphora

  24. RhododendronRhododendron ponticum

  25. SalmonberryRubus spectabilis

  26. Sea-Buckthorn Hippophae rhamnoides

  27. Spanish Bluebell Hyacinthoides hispanica

  28. Three-Cornered LeekAllium triquetrum

  29. WakameUndaria pinnatifida

  30. Water ChestnutTrapa natans

  31. Water FernAzolla filiculoides

  32. Water LettucePistia stratiotes

  33. Water-PrimroseLudwigia (all species)

  34. WaterweedsElodea (all species)

  35. WireweedSargassum muticum

Additional Non-Native Plant Species identified as Medium Risk on Ireland's Biodiversity List...

Common name 

African woodsorrel

American skunk cabbage

Annual bur-sage

Antithamnionella ternifolia

Barberry

Black currant

Brazilian waterweed

Butterfly-bush

Canadian-fleabane

Clover broomrape

Creeping Bellflower

Dead man's fingers

Douglas fir

Early goldenrod

False acacia

Field penny-cress

Garden lupin

Giant rhubarb

Hairy rocket

Himalayan honeysuckle

Himalayan knotweed

Holm oak

Japanese barberry

Japanese honeysuckle

Japanese rose

Leafy spurge

Least duckweed

Narrow-leaved ragwort

New Zealand bur

Ostrich fern

Pampas grass

Pitcherplant

Red oak

Red sheath tunicate

Rock cotoneaster

Rum cherry

Russian-vine

Salmonberry

Sea-buckthorn

Sycamore

Three-cornered garlic

Traveler's-joy

Tree of heaven

Turkey oak

Virginia-creeper

Warty cabbage

Water fern

Wild parsnip

Environment 

Terrestrial

Terrestrial

Terrestrial

Marine

Terrestrial 

Terrestrial

Freshwater

Terrestrial 

Terrestrial 

Terrestrial 

Terrestrial 

Marine 

Terrestrial 

Terrestrial 

Terrestrial 

Terrestrial 

Terrestrial

Terrestrial

Terrestrial 

Terrestrial

Terrestrial

Terrestrial 

Terrestrial 

Terrestrial 

Terrestrial

Terrestrial 

Freshwater 

Terrestrial 

Terrestrial 

Terrestrial 

Terrestrial  

Terrestrial 

Terrestrial 

Marine 

Terrestrial 

Terrestrial 

Terrestrial

Terrestrial

Terrestrial

Terrestria

Terrestrial

Terrestrial 

Terrestrial 

Terrestrial 

Terrestrial 

Terrestrial 

Freshwater 

Terrestrial

Risk score 

14

15

17

15

14

14

17

17

14

17

16

16

15

14

17

17

17

16

17

14

16

14

14

15

14

16

14

16

14

14

14

14

14

14

14

17

14

14

14

15

15

17

17

14

16

15

14

15

bottom of page