North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["William C. Garthright" <billg@inebraska.com>]

> I suspect that 'Crandall' is not one clone, but lots of selfed 
> seedlings sold as 'Crandall' over the years by various nurseries, 
> which is why you see so many different descriptions.


I had quite a time when I was trying to decide about clove currants two 
years ago. I kept hearing such different information. The Missouri 
Botanical Garden website said they were "a dioecious shrub which 
requires both male and female plants for fruit production." But some 
nurseries said they were self-fertile, some that you needed two 
different varieties (not male and female plants), one said that Titania 
Black Currant would cross-pollinate it, and others weren't sure what was 
needed.

I ended up buying a 'Crandall' and a seedling clove currant from 
ForestFarm, just in case. But instead of the Crandall, they accidentally 
sent me a completely unrelated (non-fruiting) bush, and I was so new at 
this that it took me a year to convince myself that it wasn't the right 
plant. They sent me a replacement last year, but meanwhile, I'd ordered 
five more Crandall currants from High Country Gardens.

This year, they're all blooming - and they're all clove currants - but 
the one Crandall currant still looks a bit different from the other 
five. They are just solid blossoms, as is the seedling current (which 
started blooming just slightly before they did). But the Crandall from 
ForestFarm was slightly later than the rest and has only a few blossoms 
here and there. Maybe it IS a different Crandall.

Well, I shouldn't have to worry about cross-pollination, anyway.

Bill
Lincoln, NE (zone 5)

--
All superstition is much the same whether it be that of astrology, 
dreams, omen, retributive judgment, or the like, in all of which the 
deluded believers observe events which are fulfilled, but neglect and 
pass over their failure, though it be much more common. - Sir Francis Bacon