What's not to like about Ribes sanguineum? In a season dominated by yellow flowers, this red-blooming shrub offers a striking contrast. While some might find the combination with yellow flowers offensive, I believe its avoidance is more due to snobbery than aesthetics. Many people don't appreciate its effects simply because it’s commonly planted up and down the street.
Admittedly, it has its drawbacks. After flowering, the foliage is nothing special, and the plant can become shapeless. To address this, my son Edmund set out to improve it. He ideally needs a Ribes with darker foliage to breed a dark foliage form. We've scoured commercial nurseries, visited Botanic Gardens, and asked around, but so far, the only potential breeding candidate is a cut-leaved form of blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum) from Jo Sharman, which he's currently working on.
In the meantime, Edmund has gathered plants of most known species and hybrids, planted them together, left the bees to pollinate them, harvested the seeds, and raised young plants. These have been planted out in two trial beds, and 2020 marks the first year we've seen decent flowers.
While no interesting foliage forms have emerged, there are some plants with different habits (shapes) and flower forms. Here are a few noteworthy hybrids:
- **Hybrid D**: Features flowers that are a bluer red than existing forms like ‘King Edward VII’ and ‘Koja’. For comparison, ‘Koja’ is illustrated on the right and is known for its compact form.
- **Hybrid Y**: A new white-flowered form with a hint of pink at the end of the tassel where the flower buds are unopened.
- **Hybrid C**: A compact plant with tighter tassels of slightly dirty pink flowers.
- **Hybrid A**: A dwarf variety, less than 1 metre high.
There are more hybrids, but these are the most distinctive so far. We're still on the lookout for that elusive dark foliage form!
**Key Features of Ribes Sanguineum and Hybrids**:
- **Unique Colours**: Offers red blooms in late winter and early spring, contrasting with the season's typical yellow flowers.
- **Breeding Efforts**: Aimed at creating plants with darker foliage and varied flower forms.
- **Distinctive Hybrids**:
- **Hybrid D**: Bluer red flowers, compact form.
- **Hybrid Y**: White flowers with a hint of pink.
- **Hybrid C**: Compact with dirty pink flowers.
- **Hybrid A**: Dwarf variety under 1 metre high.
Despite its commonality, **Ribes sanguineum** holds potential for new and exciting varieties. With ongoing breeding efforts, we hope to enhance its appeal and introduce unique forms to the gardening community. Stay tuned for more updates on our progress!
