Long black bells
Strings usually carry 10–15 berries and hang clearly beneath lobed leaves.
Ribes nigrum CASSISSIMA® ‘Blackbells’ 13cm
Normal price
€11,20
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Ribes nigrum CASSISSIMA® ‘Blackbells’
Once you taste it, you will not want another 🍯
- 10–15 berries per string
- Large sweet black berries
- Harvest early–mid July
- Good mildew tolerance
Ribes nigrum CASSISSIMA® ‘Blackbells’ hangs striking black “bells” beneath its lobed foliage. Long clusters can carry up to fifteen large berries, with a full sweet flavour and a distinctive blackcurrant aroma. Their dark colour gains particular depth beside the fresh green leaves. It is a rewarding choice for picking fresh, with equally attractive results in juices, jams and rich summer desserts. The long strigs hang like dark ornaments, giving the bush a distinctive texture as the berries develop their full black colour.
Hanging clusters add an almost ornamental detail to the shrub. A position beside a garden path brings the long strings of fruit into close view, joining attractive foliage with the pleasure of picking fresh berries.
What makes it special
‘Blackbells’ stands out for unusually long strings, numerous large berries and mild sweet blackcurrant flavour.
Sweet black fruit
Large berries provide rich juice with a milder resinous note than many traditional cultivars.
Upright branching bush
Vigorous lateral growth creates a large productive outline and room for many long strings.
Why you will love it: It offers the spectacle and practicality of a string cut whole, together with black fruit sweet enough to eat fresh.
In the garden & on the terracePositioning & plant combinationsA cool large bed in morning sun with 1.2–1.5m of room for the broad mature crown.
Ideal position
Plant in sun to bright partial shade at least 1.2m from neighbouring shrubs. In hot regions protect roots and black berries from afternoon sun.
Compatible combinations
Strong perennials with vertical yet airy form frame the broad bush and bring pollinators in different seasons.
- Monarda didyma — Red aromatic heads continue interest after harvest and attract insects.
- Physostegia virginiana — Upright pink spikes provide vertical contrast beyond the broad crown.
- Deschampsia cespitosa — A fine cloud of flowers softens the edge and tolerates cool partial shade.
Care at a glance
Light
Sun to partial shade; avoid fierce reflected heat.
Water
Deep watering when the surface dries, especially while berries fill.
Climate & hardiness
Very good winter hardiness; shallow roots need cool soil and deep summer watering.
Safety
Wash fully ripe fruit before eating.
Detailed careComplete care guideSoil, watering, support, feeding and cultivar-specific prevention.
Soil & drainage
Plant in fertile, humus-rich soil that holds even moisture without waterlogging. An organic mulch over the outer root zone keeps the soil cool.
Watering
Water deeply when the surface dries, with particular consistency from flowering until the berries fill. Avoid both prolonged drought and permanently saturated soil.
Shape & airflow
Keep 8–10 well-spaced stems and use a low perimeter ring only if long strings weigh down outer branches.
Feeding
In early spring add mature compost and a balanced fruit-shrub feed according to its label. Stop nitrogen-rich applications early in summer.
Heat & moisture
In regions with very hot summers choose morning sun and afternoon shade. A lasting mulch and deep watering protect the shallow roots.
Prevent problems
Thin a crowded centre, renew the darkest stems and lift long strings away from the soil with low support.
From flower to basketFruiting & harvestSimple guidance on pollination, ripening, picking and protecting the crop.
Pollination
‘Blackbells’ is self-fertile and crops alone. Another blackcurrant flowering alongside it may improve filling of long strings.
When it ripens
Berries ripen from early to mid-July.
How to harvest
Wait until even the final berries at the tip are fully black and soft. Snip the whole string at its central stalk.
Fruit protection
Place tall netting over a rigid frame before berries darken, leaving room for long hanging strings.
After planting: water deeply, keep the centre open and let outer new stems build a broad productive bush.
Clear pruning planHow to prune this fruiting plantLate winter, before buds swell
When to prune
Carry out the main renewal of ‘Black Bells’ in late winter, before new growth starts. On a leafless bush it is easier to distinguish old, dark branches from younger stems taking over production. Remove a proportion of the ageing wood low down and retain strong young growth. Avoid shortening every tip as if trimming a hedge, which reduces the fruiting structure.
‘Blackbells’ forms its finest long strings on well-lit young and middle-aged wood. Gradually remove the darkest old stems, retain broad outer renewal and do not shorten healthy tips.
01
Build
Broad establishment
Action: Choose 5–6 strong stems opening in different directions and remove only thin or inward competitors.
Retain: Keep complete healthy tips so laterals with long strings can form.
02
Train
Productive outer arc
Action: Remove one crossing branch from the centre and very low laterals. Do not clip the outer outline uniformly.
Retain: Keep 8–10 well-lit stems and free space beneath long strings.
03
Renew
Annual renewal
Action: Cut 2–3 of the darkest old stems at ground level and choose the same number of strong pale replacements on the outside.
Retain: Keep mixed ages and a broad bright centre.
New / productive — retainOld or exhausted woodCut point
Clean tools
Use sharp, clean tools suited to the diameter of the wood.
After harvest
Remove only one low exhausted lateral if it touches the soil. Leave remaining foliage until natural fall.
Do not do this: Do not shorten every tip; uniform clipping removes productive nodes and creates a crowded top with shorter strings.
Development over timeHow the plant developsA realistic path from establishment to mature form.
Broad framework
New stems open towards the outer perimeter and create a large bright bush.
Long green strings
Many berries form along elongated stalks beneath the leaves.
Black bells
Whole strings darken and hang in clear groups around the crown.
Mature habit & dimensions
Mature form in 4–6 yearsHeight 1–1.5mSpread 1–1.2mUpright branching bush
Distinct basal stems, leafy side shoots and fruit attached to the branching framework.
Form through the seasons
Spring flowers · fruit early–mid JulyCASSISSIMA®10–15 berriesMild sweet flavour
Spring flowering
Small flowers appear on short side shoots of the woody framework.
Summer fruit
Fruit develops on side shoots among the leaves.
The two views follow the same natural growth cycle.
What to expect after planting: New stems open towards the outer perimeter and create a large bright bush.
History & originCultivar originThe story behind its distinctive character.
‘Black Bells’ belongs to the story of Lubera’s Cassissima® blackcurrants, a series that brings large, sweet fruit closer to fresh eating. Within this family of selections, it stands out for its particularly long fruit strigs. Rather than hiding individually among the leaves, the berries hang in clearly visible dark chains.
That combination of size, flavour and distinctive clusters gives the cultivar its place in the series. A harvest from early to mid-July brings the familiar character of blackcurrants to the summer table. ‘Black Bells’ expresses a modern side of an established fruit crop, with berries that invite tasting fresh.
Greenleaf for Plant NerdsScientific details nobody asked forBotanical detail behind the plant's appearance and behaviour
A flower cluster becomes a hanging strig
The long fruit strig of ‘Black Bells’ retains the central axis of the preceding flower cluster. Each berry develops from a separate flower and joins the axis through its own small stalk. Up to fifteen berries can therefore form one hanging cluster without becoming a single aggregate fruit like the little drupelets of a raspberry.
Renewal starts near the base
A blackcurrant maintains a perennial base but produces successive generations of woody stems. Younger growth develops its own lateral buds and gradually takes over cropping as older branches become less productive. The bush is therefore a combination of different ages of wood, rather than one permanent trunk that simply becomes taller each year.
Frequently asked questions
Six practical answers for choosing, growing, harvesting and pruning this exact cultivar.
01Does it need another plant?
No. It is self-fertile, while another blackcurrant flowering alongside it may improve filling of long strings.
02How large does it become?
Approximately 1–1.5m high and 1–1.2m wide as a strong broad bush.
03Is it suitable for a container?
Yes, in a very large deep container with a low perimeter support and even watering.
04When is the fruit picked?
From early to mid-July, when even the final berries on the long string have turned fully black.
05How many berries are on each string?
A well-filled string can carry roughly 10–15 large berries.
06When should it be pruned?
In late winter remove 2–3 of the darkest old stems at ground level and retain strong new replacements.
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