Currants and gooseberries
Currants and gooseberries (Ribes) are an alternate host of white pine blister rust, and some states regulate or ban planting them, especially black currant. Check your state's rules before planting, and where white pines are nearby choose a rust-resistant cultivar.
Well established A person has checked it against its sources. If you skip this, it still grows, just less well. The planner suggests it.
How it works
White pine blister rust (Cronartium ribicola) needs BOTH a Ribes and a five-needle (white) pine to complete its life cycle. The rust is a minor nuisance on Ribes but can be lethal to white pines, which is why some states restrict Ribes planting. Restrictions are strictest for black currant (Ribes nigrum), the most susceptible type. A rust-immune cultivar breaks the cycle. It cannot host the rust, so it cannot pass it to a pine.
What to do about it
Check your state's Ribes regulations before planting. A 1900s federal ban was lifted in 1966, but some states still restrict planting, especially of black currant. Where white pines grow nearby, plant a rust-immune cultivar ('Consort', 'Crusader' or 'Titania' black currant, or a resistant gooseberry), which cannot carry the rust to the pine.
How much it matters: Not a garden-yield figure. The consequence is regulatory and falls on white pines (for the Ribes crop the rust is "little more than a nuisance to the grower of currants", UMN). No number is stated or estimated.
The evidence
Evidence: checked against 5 sources in the research-based literature.
The 5 sources
Some New England states regulate aspects of Ribes spp. production within their boundaries due to their role as alternate hosts of White Pine Blister Rust (Cronartium ribicola)
In the early 1900s, currants were banned in the northern United States to prevent the spread of white pine blister rust. However for most states, including Utah, the ban was lifted in 1966
Several states, however, still ban the planting and cultivation of black currants
Currants, gooseberries and other plants in the Ribes genus play a part in white pine blister rust
Black currant (Ribes nigrum) is the most susceptible, though resistant varieties are available
Plants it applies to · 1
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Milpa Gardens. “Currants and gooseberries (Ribes) are an alternate host of white pine blister rust, and some states regulate or ban planting them, especially black currant. Check your state's rules before planting, and where white pines are nearby choose a rust-resistant cultivar.” Evidence grade: Well established. https://milpa.garden/rules/currants-gooseberries-ribes-alternate-host-white-pine/
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