Small footprint
Naturally dense branching keeps the bush around 80–100cm without losing the characteristic Ribes form.
Ribes nigrum LOWBERRY® ‘Little Black Sugar’ 13cm
Normal price
€11,20
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Ribes nigrum LOWBERRY® ‘Little Black Sugar’
More dependable fruit than your greengrocer 😅
- Height 80–100cm
- Early June harvest
- Medium-large sweet berries
- Good mildew tolerance
Ribes nigrum LOWBERRY® ‘Little Black Sugar’ brings the full flavour of blackcurrants to a dense, low shrub with attractive branching. Black berries are sweet and juicy, with a mild character that invites fresh picking. Lobed leaves create a full green backdrop around the short fruit clusters. Its small scale and generous appearance bring the pleasure of a complete fruit garden to a terrace or a small border. The crop stays close to eye and hand, bringing colour, flavour and seasonal anticipation even to a small corner of pots.
Its small scale brings blackcurrants close to the terrace seating area. A simple pot sets off the lobed leaves and black berries, adding a productive element to a composition that stays low and visually clear.
What makes it special
Its value lies in the rare union of truly compact growth and sweet black fruit for fresh eating.
Sweetness comes first
High sweetness softens the strong resinous blackcurrant note and makes the fruit friendly for eating straight from the bush.
An early basket
Short strings ripen from mid-June, opening the season before many taller blackcurrants.
Why you will love it: It combines the feel of a full fruiting shrub with a size that lets you see and pick every berry easily.
In the garden & on the terracePositioning & plant combinationsA large container or the front of a cool bed, in sun to bright partial shade.
Ideal position
Give it morning sun and protection from the fiercest afternoon light. Allow 80–100cm in height and 60–80cm in spread, leaving a clear 20cm circle around the crown.
Compatible combinations
Use low foliage and flowers that highlight the black berries without covering the compact bush.
- Fragaria vesca — It covers the outer zone at low level and continues the edible theme with small aromatic fruit.
- Heuchera ‘Lime Marmalade’ — Bright yellow-green foliage creates a clear contrast with the black berries.
- Carex oshimensis — Fine arching blades soften the container edge without competing in height.
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; compact roots in a container need protection from extreme frost.
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 6–8 short basal stems with light in the centre. Support is rarely needed beyond a low ring if fruiting tips bow.
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
Remove a few dark old stems each year, clear fallen leaves from the dense centre and avoid wetting foliage in the evening.
From flower to basketFruiting & harvestSimple guidance on pollination, ripening, picking and protecting the crop.
Pollination
It is self-fertile and crops alone. A second blackcurrant with similar flowering time can improve filling of the strings.
When it ripens
Harvest begins early, from mid-June, and continues into early July.
How to harvest
Pick the short string when every berry is black, soft and sweet, or take the ripest berries one by one.
Fruit protection
The low crown is easily covered with a small netted dome. Lift it daily for picking and inspection.
After planting: maintain even moisture and let the bush fill with short strong stems before beginning annual renewal.
Clear pruning planHow to prune this fruiting plantLate February to early March, before bud break
When to prune
Prune ‘Little Black Sugar’ in late winter, before the buds begin to open. The aim is to renew a few older stems within the little crown, not to shorten every branch to the same height. Keep strong new basal shoots to replace ageing wood. Its naturally compact form needs careful thinning rather than the close shearing of a decorative shrub.
‘Little Black Sugar’ is naturally compact but needs light in the centre to keep berries sweet. Remove a few of the darkest stems each year and never clip the outer surface into a ball.
01
Build
Filling the crown
Action: Remove only broken, very thin or horizontal stems lying over the soil.
Retain: Keep 5–6 strong short stems to build a full bush.
02
Train
Compact production
Action: Thin one crossing branch from the centre and remove very low laterals. Leave healthy tips at their natural length.
Retain: Keep 6–8 well-lit stems and short strings on younger wood.
03
Renew
Small annual renewal
Action: Cut 2–3 of the thickest darkest stems at ground level and choose the same number of new replacements.
Retain: Retain the low outline while creating clear windows of light between stems.
New / productive — retainOld or exhausted woodCut point
Clean tools
Use sharp, clean tools suited to the diameter of the wood.
After harvest
Remove one exhausted stem only if it shades new growth. Leave the remaining foliage until natural leaf fall.
Do not do this: Do not shorten every tip to keep it small; it is already genetically compact and uniform clipping crowds the crown unnecessarily.
Development over timeHow the plant developsA realistic path from establishment to mature form.
Dense establishment
Short basal stems branch early and quickly fill a large container.
Early fruiting
Short strings appear among lobed leaves and darken before many tall cultivars.
Stable small size
Annual removal of a little old wood keeps the crown young without increasing final height.
Mature habit & dimensions
Mature form in 3–5 yearsHeight 0.8–1mSpread 0.6–0.8mCompact rounded bush
Distinct basal stems, leafy side shoots and fruit attached to the branching framework.
Form through the seasons
Early flowers · June berriesLOWBERRY®Dense branchingSweet black fruit
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: Short basal stems branch early and quickly fill a large container.
History & originCultivar originThe story behind its distinctive character.
‘Little Black Sugar’ belongs to the small-growing side of Lubera’s fruit breeding, within the Lowberry® series. Its production record is linked with the code sJ206, but the commercial name describes its appeal more directly: a little green crown and sweet black fruit. Blackcurrants gain a scale that fits more easily into everyday life on a terrace.
Early cropping in June and large berries complete that character. The cultivar’s presence comes from dense branching and fruit close to hand rather than tall, imposing stems. It is the story of a familiar fruit gaining a smaller-growing form while retaining the pleasure of a fresh harvest.
Greenleaf for Plant NerdsScientific details nobody asked forBotanical detail behind the plant's appearance and behaviour
A small bush with successive generations of stems
Compact ‘Little Black Sugar’ retains the basic growth pattern of a blackcurrant: a perennial base producing new woody stems from low down. Its small height does not turn the bush into a miniature tree with one permanent trunk. Within the dense crown, branches of different ages coexist as younger stems gradually renew the productive structure.
Each berry has its own beginning
The black berries develop in short clusters, but each comes from a separate flower. Its small stalk connects it to the shared axis that previously carried the flowers. Small seeds lie within the flesh; neighbouring berries on the same cluster do not become one botanical fruit, even when the whole strig is picked together.
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 a second blackcurrant can improve filling of the strings.
02How large does it become?
Approximately 80–100cm high and 60–80cm wide, with naturally dense branching.
03Is it suitable for a container?
Yes. Use a large deep container, cool compost and a low ring only if the tips bow.
04When is the fruit picked?
From mid-June into early July, when berries are fully black, soft and sweet.
05Is it sharply acidic?
No. Sweetness is dominant and the characteristic aroma is milder than in many traditional blackcurrants.
06When should it be pruned?
In late winter, removing 2–3 of the darkest old stems at ground level.
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