Gooseberry / Blackberry Cross?

[Mrs Dobby]

Hmmm, sounds like its not as simple as I thought to identify it! It may be that the other plotholder got her info wrong and that its a Jostaberry, or possibly a Worcesterberry, looks like we will have to wait until they start growing next year to be able to post some piccies and let you all have a look! Thanks all for the great posts and advice / info, very much appreciated by us both!

[Mike Galvin]

Mike Galvin

We've just been given 2 gooseberry / blackberry cross plants from one of our neighbours on the allotment, she had about 7 of them and wanted to thin them out to get some other varieties of fruit into her plot, so offered us 2 of them for nowt! Has anyone ever heard of this type of plant before? Does it have a proper name, or are we having ur legs pulled here?

Apparently they are fairly bushy, have gooseberry type spikes, fruit fairly heavily with a gooseberry shaped red/black fruit which is very sweet and tasty! They are just going dormant now, so wont have any idea what the fruit will be like until they fruit up next year, so its going to be a long wait till then and I thought some of you may have some ideas or experience that you wouldnt mind sharing!

We've planted them in our bottom raised bed, where they will be incorporated into a fedge with some brambles, some more rasps () , a loganberry and some gooseberries (when we finally get round to ordering some goosegogs!)

I have been growing these for several years in SW France. They are called Caseilles here. They are very vigourous and produce huge crops (7ft tall after 5 years). The jam is red and has a slight gooseberry taste with the bite and flavour of the blackcurrants. A really worthwhile fruit to grow - but we have a better climate than UK. They do not have thorns and are easy to propagate from cuttings - they also set seeds but I have not yet tried growing these on.

[veggiechicken]

Hi Mike and welcome
Caseilles appear to be what we call Jostaberry. Caseille Josta (Berry) - Ribes josta Berry - MonEden
I grow them too and agree that they are easy to grow and vigourous - even in sunshiny South Wales

[Snadger]

Enjoyed seeing Mrs dobby's avater! (Both of them)

[veggiechicken]

You're a very norty boy, Snadger

[burnie]

I remember my Dad getting a Josta from Holland late 70's early 80's, we were a bit disappointed with the lack of flavour, hope they've improved.