Currant in Zone 5a & 5b
Ribes spp.
Yes, currant grows in zones 5a and 5b and comes back each year. Set out nursery plants Apr 12–Apr 19.
When to plant currant in zone 5b
Zones 5a and 5b share the same average frost dates, so this page covers both.
Method: Buy as a start: Buy as a nursery start and transplant outside. It's slow or unreliable from seed, so most gardeners skip seed-starting it entirely.
| Start indoors | Not started from seed; buy as a nursery start |
|---|---|
| Direct sow / transplant outside | Apr 12–Apr 19 |
| Estimated harvest | First real harvest the season after planting |
Spacing: about 20 square feet per plant (square-foot-gardening spacing). Mature height: 3-5 ft.
Before you plant: Currant has a winter-hardiness note for zone 5b. See the details below.
Plant alongside it in zone 5b
These go outside within two weeks of currant in zone 5b, so one planting day can cover them.
- BlackberryApr 12–Apr 19
- BlueberryApr 12–Apr 19
- GooseberryApr 12–Apr 19
- Nanking CherryApr 12–Apr 19
- RaspberryApr 12–Apr 19
- GrapeApr 19–Apr 26
Currants are the fruit for the difficult corner. They tolerate part shade better than anything else you can grow for fruit, they're hardy to zone 3, and they crop from their second year. If you have a north-facing fence or a spot that only gets morning sun, this is what goes there.
How currant fits zone 5's season
Zone 5b's frost-free window runs about 148 days, from May 10 to October 5. Currant takes about 1 growing season to reach first worthwhile harvest, so what matters here is how many of these seasons it gets, not whether one is long enough.
Currant is hardy in zones 3-8, so in zone 5b it stays in the ground through winter and comes back rather than being replanted. Allow about 4 ft of spread at maturity.
Currant planting windows in every zone
Zone 5b is highlighted. Useful for comparing against a neighbouring zone, or for a garden somewhere else.
| Zone | Start indoors | Sow or plant out | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3a & 3b | Buy as a start | May 2–May 9 | First real harvest the season after planting |
| 4a & 4b | Buy as a start | Apr 17–Apr 24 | First real harvest the season after planting |
| 5a & 5b (your zone) | Buy as a start | Apr 12–Apr 19 | First real harvest the season after planting |
| 6a & 6b | Buy as a start | Mar 28–Apr 4 | First real harvest the season after planting |
| 7a & 7b | Buy as a start | Mar 13–Mar 20 | First real harvest the season after planting |
| 8a & 8b | Buy as a start | Feb 25–Mar 4 | First real harvest the season after planting |
Good companions
No well-established companions for currant.
Where to buy currant starts
Currant is almost always bought as a nursery start rather than seeded. Check a local nursery or garden center; we haven't vetted online start/plant suppliers yet.
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See it growing
Search YouTube for "growing currant" videos → (a live search, not a hand-picked video; results vary and aren't vetted by us)
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Growing Currant in USDA zone 5b: when to start seeds indoors, when to direct-sow, and when to expect a harvest.
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