Ribes 'Pulborough Scarlet' - Flowering Currant
Overview
Ribes 'Pulborough Scarlet' is a spectacular deciduous shrub that brings vibrant colour and wildlife value to any garden. This outstanding cultivar of the flowering currant is prized for its profuse display of deep red flowers in early spring, making it an excellent choice for adding seasonal interest when many other plants are still dormant.
Key Features
This hardy shrub typically reaches 2-2.5 metres in height and spread, forming an attractive rounded shape. The deep crimson-red flowers appear in drooping clusters (racemes) along the branches in March and April, creating a stunning display that lasts for several weeks. The flowers are followed by small, dark berries later in the season, whilst the fresh green, lobed leaves provide pleasant foliage throughout the growing season.
Growing Conditions
Ribes 'Pulborough Scarlet' is remarkably adaptable and will thrive in most garden situations. It performs best in full sun to partial shade and tolerates a wide range of soil types, from clay to sandy soils, provided they are reasonably well-drained. The plant is fully hardy and will withstand typical British winters without protection.
Planting and Care
Plant from autumn through to early spring, spacing plants 1.5-2 metres apart if creating a hedge or screen. Water regularly during the first growing season to establish a strong root system. Once established, this drought-tolerant shrub requires minimal maintenance beyond annual pruning.
Pruning Requirements
Prune immediately after flowering has finished, typically in late April or May. Remove about one-third of the oldest stems to ground level each year to encourage new growth and maintain vigour. This prevents the shrub from becoming congested and ensures continued flowering performance.
Wildlife Benefits
The early flowers are invaluable for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators emerging from winter. The berries provide food for birds, whilst the dense branching structure offers nesting sites and shelter for garden wildlife throughout the year.
Garden Uses
This versatile shrub works beautifully as a specimen plant, in mixed borders, or as an informal hedge. It's particularly effective when planted in groups of three or more for maximum impact. The early flowering period makes it an excellent companion for spring bulbs and other early-flowering shrubs.
Mature Size
Height: 2-2.5 metres
Spread: 2-2.5 metres
Growth rate: Moderate to fast
Hardiness
Fully hardy (RHS H6) - tolerates temperatures down to -20°C and below.
Buying Shrubs from Jacksons Nurseries
At Jacksons Nurseries we sell a variety of shrubs both evergreen and deciduous with a variety of flowering times throughout the year. At certain times of the year our shrubs you buy from us may not look like the images shown on our website when deciduous leaves have fallen, the shrub has finished flowering or has been trimmed back.
Some leaves on evergreen shrubs can be damaged in winter by frost or harsh winds but in spring new leaves will readily replace those damaged. This is quite normal on many evergreen varieties and is preferable to plants grown with excessive protection that show cold shock once planted out and establish less satisfactory initially.
Availability: Stock availability figures are provided as a guide only. There is a delay between orders being placed and the plants being gathered by our pulling team. During this time it may be possible for a member of the public to purchase these plants from our Garden Centre, while this is rare it is a possibility and we will notify you of any problems as soon as possible. This figure may also include plants that have not yet be flagged as unsaleable.
Pre-order: Pre-order times are given as a guide only and may vary dependent on the growing season. Orders containing Pre-ordered products will be shipped as a single order when all items become available. Large orders may be part shipped, please contact us on 01782 502741 or email sales@jacksonsnurseries.co.uk.
* Please Note: Shrubs in 20 litre pots and above might require a pallet delivery starting at £79.99 per pallet. Depending on the exact pot size and height it may be possible to get approximately 5 plants per pallet at no extra cost. The maximum height we can dispatch on a pallet is 2.0m, this includes the height of the pallet and pot.
Shrubs are deciduous or evergreen woody plants, and often provide fragrant flowers, berries and foliage. They are good for structural framework, and they can provide a wonderful shelter and food source for wildlife.
Planting and Conditions
Container grown shrubs can be grown at any time of year. It is a little known fact that shrubs planted in the autumn and winter will be easier to look after than those planted in the spring and summer, because they will have time to establish and become hardy in the cooler months.
Plant the shrub at the same depth as it was in its original pot. Planting too deeply can result in root and stem rot.
One of the biggest causes of death in new shrubs is drought stress, so keep it well watered until it’s established.
Make sure you loosen the soil prior to planting. Most shrubs are tolerant of most soil types as long as it is fairly well draining.
Most shrubs will grow happily in containers, but they will be much more demanding on feeding and watering than shrubs in the ground would be. They will also need potting on every couple of years so that they don’t suffocate or become stunted in their pot.
Aftercare and Pruning
Once established, shrubs generally do not require much water. However, at first they need careful, frequent watering and should not be left to dry out.
Shrubs in the ground are generally not demanding and in most cases, annual feeding with general purpose fertilizer will suffice. Shrubs in containers may need more feeding; usually from early spring until late summer.
Shrubs also benefit from mulching in order to supress weeds, conserve moisture and provide vital nutrients. Mulch also greatly improves soil conditions. Shrubs can be mulched in late winter, after fertiliser has been applied, but it can be mulched through autumn to late spring as long as the ground is damp.
All shrubs benefit from dead-heading once spent flowers become apparent. Rhododendrons and Lilac especially benefit from the removal of dead flowers.
Some shrubs may show signs of reverted growth or ‘sporting’. This is where random shoots of different leaves associated with the plant’s parentage begin to appear. Most commonly this is where plants with variegated leaves sprout pure green growths instead of variegated ones.
To control reversion, remove reverted shoots promptly to discourage them. Reverted shoots are usually much more vigorous than the variegated ones, and thus should be completely pruned out and cut back into wood containing variegated foliage.
Potential Issues
Although shrubs are usually very robust garden plants, they can sometimes start to decline with no apparent or obvious reason.
This will start with browning leaves, which could indicate plant stress due to lack of water or waterlogging, an establishment failure or, in the worst case scenario, honey fungus. Another cause of leaf browning is a high salt content in the soil. This could be a natural occurrence, especially if you live near the ocean, or it could be from over fertilisation.
To remedy a high salt content, cut back on fertiliser and step up your watering regime for the next few weeks. If you live by the ocean, this will be harder to remedy—but stepping up your watering will help to wash some of the salt away all the same.
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