Golden Currants, Ribes aureum, are a reliable, consistent producer in my garden. The black berries must be picked individually by hand, but make a delicious jam or preserves. In this drought year when the garden has received only about 2 inches of precipitation since October, none from October to January and none in April, it still made a crop. I did irrigate a few times, but only minimally.
Even after harvesting over 2 gallons from a few plants, there is much more to harvest.
Birds and a berry moth (their larvae) are the primary problems, but I still have a bountiful harvest of tasty berries.
Fragrant golden flowers followed by abundant harvest, even in times of drought, make these reliable producers a good choice for gardens in New Mexico.
