Golden Currant

July 28, 2018

I had a gooseberry cutting that I got from my grandma's shrub several years ago.  I lost it last fall, simply did not realize how dry things had gotten.   I am so sad to lose the gooseberry, as my grandma has been gone for several years.  She was also very knowledgeable about all sorts of plants, she loved any growing thing and transplanted so many plants and trees over the years.   The shrub did not produce any berries, but it had small yellow flowers that had a wonderful spicy smell that I love!  I am looking to replace this plant, but I cannot tell from pictures which variety my gooseberry was, and don't want to take a guess with this.  Can you help me from this (limited) description? 

 Gooseberries are in the same genus as currants. While they are not the easiest fruits to grow in Arkansas due to heat and humidity, I do know of gardeners who do actually harvest gooseberries annually.  I am not an expert on gooseberries, and would not even begin to guess which variety your grandmother grew.  However, there is a shrub that is closely related with very spicy-fragranced blooms with little fruit called the clove currant or Ribes odoratum.  I have included a picture in case this helps.

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