Gooseberry varieties: 14 old and new varieties of gooseberries

Gooseberries thrive in almost any garden. The berry bush, which is up to 150 centimeters high, is frost hardy, very undemanding in terms of its location and also uncomplicated to care for. The plant feels most comfortable in a sunny to partially shaded location as well as on humus-rich, loamy-sandy and rather moist soil, which can be chalky. Most varieties ripen between June and July, but can often be harvested in May or June when they are half ripe. Green gooseberries in particular are wonderfully suitable for preserving at this point, for example for jams, compotes, jellies or chutneys.

The 14 best old and new varieties for the home garden

Nobody really knows how many gooseberry varieties there are in total. One thing is certain: the number of varieties is huge. Basically, gooseberries are grouped into red, yellow and green varieties, although the differences between these in terms of color, size and taste can be very large. Some varieties such as ‘Ashton Red’, ‘Godwin of Wessex’ or ‘Black Velvet’ (although this is not a pure gooseberry, but a cross) have very dark fruits when ripe, others are considered to be “white-fruited” , so remain green or yellow-green at harvest time. But don’t be fooled by the appearance: some green varieties surprisingly taste quite sweet (for example, ‘Hinnonmäki Yellow’), while some red varieties have a more tart aroma (for example, ‘Maiherzog’).

1. Hinnonmäki red

• Fruit: red, medium-sized, not very hairy, burst-resistant
• Taste: sweet
• Use: fresh consumption, cake topping, for preserving
• Ripe for picking: mid-July to August
• Yield: very high
• Special features: robust variety, only slightly susceptible to powdery mildew and leaf fall disease

2. Hinnonmäki yellow

• Fruit: yellow, medium-sized, not very hairy, burst-resistant
• Taste: sweet
• Use: Consumption fresh, for jams and compotes
• Ripe for picking: mid-July
• Yield: very high
• Special features: robust variety, only slightly susceptible to powdery mildew and leaf fall disease

3. Invicta

• Fruit: light green, medium-sized, hairy
• Taste: sweet and sour
• Use: Consumption fresh and raw (e.g. in a fruit salad), as a topping for a cake
• Ripe for picking: mid-July
• Yield: very high
• Special features: robust variety, only slightly susceptible to powdery mildew and leaf fall disease

4. Captivator

• Fruit: red, medium-sized
• Taste: sweet and sour
• Use: fresh consumption, for baking and preserving
• Ripe for picking: July to August
• Yield: high
• Special features: almost thornless, very little susceptible to powdery mildew

5. Redeva

• Fruit: red, medium-sized, hairy
• Taste: sweet
• Use: fresh consumption, for baking and preserving
• Ripe for picking: July
• Yield: high
• Special features: little susceptible to powdery mildew and leaf fall disease

6. Mucurine

• Fruit: light green, large, firm skin
• Taste: sweet and sour
• Use: fresh consumption, for baking and preserving
• Ripe for picking: mid-July
• Yield: high
• Special features: vigorous, less susceptible to powdery mildew and leaf fall disease

7. Spinefree

• Fruit: red, medium-sized, burst-resistant
• Taste: sweet
• Use: fresh and raw, for baking and preserving
• Ripe for picking: early to mid-July
• Yield: high
• Special features: few spines, less susceptible to powdery mildew

8. Larell

• Fruit: red, smooth, burst resistant
• Taste: sweet
• Use: fresh and raw, for baking and preserving
• Ripe for picking: July to August
• Yield: yielding
• Special features: few spines, robust

9. Karlin

• Fruit: green, medium-sized, hairy
• Taste: sweet
• Use: fresh consumption, for baking and preserving
• Ripe for picking: July
• Yield: yielding
• Special features: only slightly susceptible to powdery mildew and leaf fall disease

10. Achilles

• Fruit: red, big
• Taste: sweet
• Use: fresh consumption, for baking and preserving
• Ripe for picking: July to August
• Yield: yielding
• Special features: particularly large and aromatic fruits, but susceptible to powdery mildew

11. Tatjana

• Fruit: yellow-green, medium-sized, not very hairy
• Taste: sweet and sour
• Use: fresh consumption, for baking and preserving
• Ripe for picking: July
• Yield: yielding
• Special features: few spines, particularly suitable for preserving

12. Reflamba

• Fruit: green, medium-sized, smooth skin
• Taste: sweet and sour
• Use: fresh consumption, for baking and preserving
• Ripe for picking: July to August
• Yield: yielding
• Special features: quite sensitive to the sun

13. Resistant

• Fruit: yellow, medium-sized, smooth skin
• Taste: sweet
• Use: fresh consumption, for baking and preserving
• Ripe for picking: July to August
• Yield: very profitable
• Special features: resistant to powdery mildew and other gooseberry diseases

14. Resolve

• Fruit: yellow, medium-sized, not very hairy
• Taste: sweet and sour
• Use: fresh consumption, for baking and preserving
• Ripe for picking: end of June
• Yield: yielding
• Special features: excellent for boiling down

Old gooseberry varieties

The fruit is particularly popular in England, which is why most of the well-known gooseberry varieties come from British breeding. Berry fruit has been grown here since the 16th century, and not only the oldest varieties that are still in cultivation today have also found their fans in other parts of Europe and America.

The best old strains from England:

• Ashton Red: from 1773, dark red and sweet
• Badlem Manor: year of growing unknown, very large, yellow and sweet fruits
• Careless: from 1890, yellow, very aromatic fruits, resistant to powdery mildew
• Dan’s Mistake: from 1850, bright red and sweet
• Early Green Hairy: from 1820, small and grass green, early ripe and sweet fruits
• Langley Gage: around 1900, yellow-green with red dots, cute
• Red triumph: before 1850, large and red fruits
• White Eagle: before 1860, large fruits with a light color and smooth skin
• White Lion: before 1835, large and sweet fruits with a light color
• Whitesmith: before 1850, white-fruity and juicy, also known in Germany as the ‘White Triumphal Berry’

Prefer mildew resistant varieties

In the 18th and 19th centuries in particular, a real competition broke out on the British Isles over who would breed the best and most beautiful gooseberry varieties. In the gardening magazines and tree nursery catalogs of that time, there were always new varieties that were extensively tested by respected experts such as the botanist Robert Hogg. Many of these variants could not save themselves today, which is mainly due to the American powdery mildew. The fungal disease first appeared in Great Britain around the middle of the 19th century and continues to plague lovers of gooseberries and currants to this day. The disease mainly affects shoot tips and leaves, leads to short stature, leaf fall and, in drastic cases, crop failures. Incidentally, the old and popular varieties ‘Red Triumph’, ‘White Triumph’, ‘Green Ball’, ‘Red Ball’ and ‘Achilles’ are particularly susceptible. To avoid annoyance, you should rely on newer and resistant gooseberry varieties.

These gooseberry varieties are resistant to American powdery mildew:

• Captivator ‘: red fruits, no thorns, ripe medium early
• Invicta ‘: large, yellow-green fruits, is only attacked in unfavorable locations
• Mucurines’: white fruity, very aromatic
• Redeva ‘: small, red and late ripe fruits
• Remarka ‘: large, red fruits
• Rokula ‘: red fruits, ripe mid-early
• Spinefree ‘: red fruits, no spines

Conclusion
For a colorful mix on the cake or to bring different flavors together, you can plant different varieties in the garden at home. So you can always draw from a large variety. Even if the plant is mostly self-pollinating, it is worth adding another shrub, as this increases the yield.