'Viking' Red Currant

Ribes petraeum Wulf x R. rubrum L. cv. Viking originated in As, Norway as ' Rote Hollandische' but was renamed in the United States. Glen G. Hahn origi nally imported this clone in the early 1930's be cause of its resistance to white pine blister rust, Cronartium ribicola J. C. Fischer. Hahn renamed t he cultivar for the United States market to prevent confusion with R. rubru m cv. American Red Dutch, which was rust susceptible. 'Viking' is a vigorou s, good-yielding, cold hardy cultivar with resistance to North American dis eases and pests. White pine blister rust uredia have not been observed on l eaves of this cultivar under natural field conditions throughout the United States, although susceptibility to rust has been reported under highly inf ective laboratory conditions.