Flowering Currant Bare Root (Ribes sanguineum 'King Edward VII')

Flowering Currant 'King Edward VII' is a spectacular spring-flowering shrub that brings vibrant colour to the garden just when it's needed most. This award-winning variety produces masses of deep crimson-red flower clusters in early spring, creating a stunning display before most other shrubs have woken up. Compact and easy to grow, this bare root specimen offers excellent value and establishes quickly to provide years of reliable spring colour.

Key Features

• Outstanding spring display – abundant deep red flowers in March to April

• Award-winning – RHS Award of Garden Merit for reliable performance

• Compact variety – perfect for smaller gardens

• Easy to grow – tolerates most conditions and requires minimal care

• Pollinator-friendly – early flowers provide nectar for bees and other insects

• Attractive foliage – aromatic, lobed leaves provide summer interest

• Bare root format – economical and environmentally friendly, available November to March

Growing Conditions

• Soil type: Tolerates most soils, including chalk and clay; prefers well-drained, moderately fertile soil

• Position: Full sun to partial shade (flowers best in sun)

• Hardiness: Fully hardy (RHS H6)

• Aspect: Any, but avoid exposed sites

• Moisture: Moist but well-drained

Size & Growth

• Mature height: 1.5-2 metres

• Mature spread: 1.5-2 metres

• Growth rate: Moderate (20-30cm per year)

• Time to maturity: 3-5 years to full size

Planting Your Bare Root Flowering Currant

When to plant: November through March, whilst the shrub is dormant and the ground isn't frozen

Planting tips:

• Soak roots in water for 2-4 hours before planting

• Dig a hole twice the width of the root system

• Plant at the same depth as the soil mark on the stem

• Space 1.5 metres apart for hedging or mass planting

• Backfill with native soil enriched with well-rotted compost

• Water thoroughly after planting

• Apply a mulch around the base to retain moisture and suppress weeds

Care & Maintenance

• Water regularly during the first growing season

• Feed with a general-purpose fertiliser in early spring

• Prune after flowering (May) to maintain shape and encourage next year's blooms

• Remove up to one-third of old stems at ground level to promote fresh growth

• Generally pest and disease-free, though occasionally affected by aphids

• Drought-tolerant once established

Seasonal Interest

Spring (March-April): Masses of pendant clusters of deep crimson-red flowers create a dramatic display

Late Spring: Blue-black berries may appear after flowering (though not reliably produced)

Summer: Aromatic, dark green, lobed leaves provide a pleasant backdrop

Autumn: Foliage may take on subtle tints before falling

Winter: Architectural bare stems

Wildlife Benefits

Flowering Currant is a valuable early-season plant for wildlife:

• Provides crucial early nectar for bees, bumblebees, and other pollinators

• Flowers attract hummingbird hawk-moths in summer

• Dense growth offers nesting sites for small birds

• Berries (when produced) are eaten by birds

Ideal For

• Mixed shrub borders

• Informal hedging

• Cottage gardens

• Spring-flowering displays

• Wildlife-friendly gardens

• Underplanting deciduous trees

• Low-maintenance gardens

• Coastal gardens (tolerates salt spray)

Companion Plants

Pair with other spring stars for a stunning seasonal display:

• Daffodils and tulips at the base

• Forsythia for contrasting yellow flowers

• Kerria japonica for golden blooms

• Hellebores for early interest beneath

• Pulmonaria for ground-level colour

Things to Consider

• Foliage has a distinctive, somewhat pungent scent when crushed (not to everyone's taste)

• Needs pruning after flowering to keep compact and flowering well

• While hardy, flowers can occasionally be damaged by late frosts

• 'King Edward VII' is more compact than the species, making it better suited to smaller spaces

Why Choose Bare Root?

Bare root shrubs are lifted from the field during dormancy and supplied without soil around the roots. This traditional method offers several advantages:

• More economical than container-grown plants

• Better root development and establishment

• Lower carbon footprint (no plastic pots or compost)

• Available during the optimal planting season

• Plants establish quickly once planted

Why Choose 'King Edward VII'?

This superior cultivar has been selected for:

• Deeper, richer red flowers than the species

• More compact, manageable size

• Exceptionally free-flowering habit

• Reliable performance year after year

• RHS Award of Garden Merit recognition

Welcome spring in spectacular style with Flowering Currant 'King Edward VII' – a compact, easy-care shrub that delivers stunning colour and supports early pollinators.

For protection from pests consider Spiral Rabbit Guards or Tree Shelters.

Please see our bare root plant guides for more information. We've put together a collect of help and advice articles covering what bare root plants are, why they are a good choice, which plants are available bare root, when and where to plant.

Deciduous plants supplied bare root during the dormancy period will not have any leaves at this time; top growth will just be brown and twiggy to start with and will come into leaf in the spring. This is perfectly normal. The plants we supply are healthy will an extensive root system. Please see the final picture for an illustration of how your plants will look when they are delivered.