Ribes nigrum, or Blackcurrant (cassissier, gadellier noir and groseillier noir - French;Schwarze Johannisbeere - German) is a species of Ribes berry native to central and northern Europe and northern Asia.

It is a small shrub growing to 1¨C2 m tall. The leaves are alternate, simple, 3¨C5 cm long and broad, and palmately lobed with five lobes, with a serrated margin. The flowers are 4¨C6 mm diameter, with five reddish-green to brownish petals; they are produced in racemes 5¨C10 cm long.

When not in fruit, the plant looks similar to the redcurrant shrub, distinguished by a strong fragrance from leaves and stems. The fruit is an edible berry 1 cm diameter, very dark purple in color, almost black, with a glossy skin and a persistent calyx at the apex, and containing several seeds dense in nutrients. An established bush can produce up to 5 kilos of berries during summer.