I received a gift today, a shrub/plant named Ribes sanguineum ‘Inverness White,’ and different neighbors have different ideas of where to plant it.
I only have a little shade in my garden. Will it take full sun, or does it need partial shade? How tall and wide will it get?
In my experience, Ribes sanguineum does best in partly sunny (or partly shady) sites, and does not need much water once established. The plant you have is Ribes sanguineum var. glutinosum ‘Inverness White.’ This cultivated variety is described by California Flora Nursery as 6 feet tall and wide, but plant size will vary with garden conditions.
University of California Berkeley Botanical Garden’s spring 1999 newsletter features flowering currant selections, including the one you have:
“Ribes sanguineum var. glutinosum ‘Inverness White’ is a proven fast grower with wonderful white flower clusters. As the flowers fade they develop a rosy cast, giving a bicolored effect. The typical form of this variety has pale pink flowers. Roger Raiche found this one on Inverness Ridge in Marin County, and it has since made its way around the state to various gardens, both public and private. This plant was featured, with other new introductions, at a national meeting of the American Association of Botanical Gardens and Arboreta […]”