We have a red currant. Its been growing in our front yard for 15 years now. This shrub is the first plant in the yard to flower in the spring. The flowers are mostly green, and not conspicuous. Nonetheless, the bees find them, and we get about a quart of fruit off this shrub every year. To my knowledge there are no other currants in the neighborhood, so I guess a lone currant shrub will do OK with regard to pollination and fruiting. I don't think you can harm the plant by pruning it in late winter.

Black Currant doesn't need another plant for crosspolination.
You can have berries this year. As for pruning, it is up to you. You can prune it lightly or leave it like is, it will be fine. Young currants don't have to be pruned, unless there is some reason, related to space, etc.
Olga

Ribes Alpinum is not the plant most people here recognize as black currant (that would be ribes nigrum), this species the poster is asking about is called alpine currant. The fruit is not favorably described on Plants for a Future, though is is described as being like a red currant, but not as sweet in one source.

some currants do appear to require two different plants to fruit (my clove currant seems to be like this)

It is generally recommended that currants be pruned back to remove any wood over 4 years old, other than that prune as you want to shape the plant. If this one is anything like my other currants (red, white, black) it likely flowers and fruits on new growth (I've never really paid that close of attention, other than enjoying the wonderful perfume in the spring)

~Chills

Chills,

What wonderful perfume do you speak of? I have Black Currants and I think they smell like cat pee.

-Little John

I love currant smell too. I have two cats and don't like cat pee smell :)
Olga

Oh, believe me, black currant plants (ribed nigrum) do smell like cat pee (at least I think so too).

I was commenting on Ribes Odoratum (also called golden or buffalo currant) with the most common cultivar being Crandall. These plants also produce an edible fruit (or so I've heard as mine haven't yet...probably due to pollenation probs) but when these bloom in the spring they resemble forsythia (somewhat) and have an amazing (and well-carrying) scent. Sort of sweet and spicy and I can smell mine from 25 feet away and know they're in bloom first by the smell.

I'm actually considering giving my (supposedly among the best varieties) black currant away this year to a friend of the family. Given that I really didn't like the taste, I can't imagine wasting precious space with it much longer.

~Chills

Oh well, I still love black currants and their smell :)

Olga, drinking black currant tea with black currant jam when typing.

chills,

Thanks for the info. Now I'm looking for another plant to collect!

-Little John

Olga, I'm with you. Have to have my black currant tea and black currant jam for breakfast. And have to share both with my 3 year old. Never have enough to last till the next crop, planting two more varieties this summer.
Grow

OK, guys, you've piqued my curiosity on black currants. I currently have a few red lake currants and two immature jostaberries. How different are the blacks and how do you make the tea??

Thanks,

Brook

The black currants are very different. I just add dried leaves and berries to the loose black tea in a pot. It doesn't work with other currants, only blacks are good for this purpose. Fresh (or dry) black currant leaves are also very good to add to the pickling mix. It adds crispiness to the pickles.
Olga

in the summer I do like black currant juice (bottled) with ginger-ale. Makes a good (non-alcoholic) drink.

~Chills

Thank you all for your input - - sorry for the delay in responding. It is actually a ribes nigrum, not a ribes alpinum. So hopefully I will get some edible berries this spring/summer and they won't smell like cat pee!

Good luck with your black currants. I love them but I have to say I'm on the cat pee side of this discussion. But don't worry, even though the bushes and leaves smell a bit rank the fruit is delicious either raw (must be very ripe) or cooked. Exceptionally high in Vit C too.

Forgot to mention... Since BCs fruit on old wood you need to prune out fruited stems straight after harvest. The simplest way to do this IMO is to cut out the whole fruiting stem as you harvest rather than picking the individual berries. Then you can find a comfortable spot to sit and strip the fruit off the stems. That way you have harvested and pruned in one operation and saved your back too.

NB Red and white currants fruit on new and old wood so this method doesn't work for them.