'Ben Lomond' Blackcurrant Bushes

• Variety: Ben Lomond, the late, heavy-cropping culinary Blackcurrant
• Latin name: Ribes nigrum 'Ben Lomond'
• Sold as: Bareroot plants, and pot-grown in 3 litre pots
• Fruit: Large berries in clusters on short strings, mid to late season
• Taste: Sharp and sweet together. For cooking or eating raw, and it freezes well
• Picking: July to August
• Size: 1 to 1.5m tall and wide
• Habit: Compact and upright, so it suits a small garden or a big pot
• Pollination: Blackcurrants are self-fertile: one bush crops alone
• Spacing: 1.5m between plants, 2m between rows
• Position: Full sun, sheltered, out of strong wind
• Soil: Moist, well-drained, mulched with well-rotted manure or compost
• Pruning: Renewal pruning in the dormant season: take out the old wood, keep the young
• Wildlife: RHS Plants for Pollinators
• Hardiness: H6, hardy through the British winter
• Delivered: Bareroot, November to April. Pot-grown, all year when in stock. Collection from Castle Cary also available

Ben Lomond is the Blackcurrant the whole Ben line came from: a compact, upright bush of 1 to 1.5 metres carrying heavy clusters of large, sharp-sweet fruit in July and August. It flowers late, which usually keeps the blossom clear of frost, and one bush crops on its own.

'Ben Lomond' Blackcurrant Bushes

Ben Lomond Blackcurrants are a longstanding favourite of amateur fruit growers. It's ideal for small gardens and pots; compact with strong, upright growth, reaching a maximum height and spread of just 1.5m while still bearing a heavy late crop. There are bigger varieties and ones that crop earlier in our range of currant bushes.

Ben Lomond is one parent of Ben Connan, which is a more disease resistant plant, so we recommend Connan for damper or darker areas that are prone to mildew.

Ben Lomond will give you a reliable crop of high quality, very large clusters of fruit on short strings for easy picking. The intense flavour is excellent, a balance of sharp and sweet. The currants freeze well and are ideal for eating raw or cooking.

Blackcurrants are at their best about a week after they have turned black. Pick them individually or, to keep them fresh for longer, harvest the whole string. Pick in dry conditions, and they'll stay fresh in the fridge for up to two weeks. Freeze as soon as possible after picking, and they'll keep for at least six months.

Blackcurrants are real superfoods, packed with antioxidants, anthocyanins, polyphenols, Vitamin C and minerals. Research suggests that the dark berries may help to reduce the symptoms of neurological illness and reduce the risk of some cancers.

Grow your own currants

One of the best features of Ben Lomond is its resistance to cold: in fact, bushes actually need a spell of cold weather to perform at their best. It's late flowering, so its blooms are frost resistant in almost all but the most extreme conditions and it fruits in late July-August.

Choose a sunny, sheltered spot out of strong winds with well-drained soil (or compost in a container). Plant 1.5m apart if growing bushes in a traditional stand-alone row, with 2m between rows. However, you can plant several closer together to make an attractive and productive hedge.

Blackcurrants are self-fertile, so you only need one. Feed with blood, fish and bone in April, followed by a high nitrogen plant food in June. Keep the ground clear of weeds to avoid competition.

In some cooler, damper or shadier conditions, mildew can be an annoyance: to prevent it, prune plants yearly, and keep centre of the bush open for air circulation.

History & Trivia

Ben Lomond was the first Ben blackcurrant developed in the celebrated 'Ben' series by the SCRI, Scottish Crop Research Institute, in 1975. Today, the SCRI is called The James Hutton Institute, after a merger with The Macaulay Land Use Research Institute.

Planting Companions

For a longer Blackcurrant season, pick an early one: Ben Sarek is another compact bush, and Wellington XXX is older, larger and spreading. The rest are in our currant bushes, and our guide to growing Blackcurrants covers planting and pruning. Dust bareroot roots with Rootgrow as you plant.

Why Ashridge for Soft Fruit?

Ashridge has sold plants since 1949 and is a Which? Best Plant Supplier 2025. Your Ben Lomond Blackcurrant comes bareroot while dormant, or pot-grown for planting in any month. Bareroot plants are guaranteed for 12 months, and so is a potted plant delivered leafless between November and March.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you need two Blackcurrant bushes?

No. Blackcurrants are self-fertile, so a single bush fruits by itself. More bushes mean more fruit, not better fruit.

When do you pick Ben Lomond?

July and August. The berries are at their best about a week after they blacken, and they pick easily because the strings are short.

How big does the bush grow?

One to 1.5 metres tall and about as wide, and it grows upright rather than spreading.

How do you prune a Blackcurrant?

In the dormant season. The fruit comes on young wood, so cut out the oldest stems at the base each winter and leave the young ones.

Can you grow it in a pot?

Yes. It stays compact, so a large pot of compost in full sun suits it, watered through the summer.

Does the frost spoil the crop?

Rarely. It flowers late, so the blossom usually opens after the worst of the spring frosts.

When are the plants delivered?

Bareroot plants are delivered from November to April, while they are dormant. Pot-grown plants can be delivered and planted in any month when you find them in stock.