Is Consort black currant legal in Massachusetts?

I read somewhere on the Internet that Consort black currant is legal to grow in Massachusetts because it is resistant to white pine blister rust. However, I have been unable to find any official statement from the state to that effect. Can someone direct me to an official state document?

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Mass currently prohibits all Ribes nigrum, and the other Ribes may or may not be legal depending on where you are. https://www.mass.gov/growing-red-currants-or-gooseberries-in-massachusetts

I read that Consort black currant is an exception to the rule you posted.

There may have been at one time, but the language in the regs is pretty unequivocal:

"No person shall transport into or within the Commonwealth anyblack currant (Ribes nigrum)
plant, root, scion, seed or cutting. This prohibition shall not apply to the transport, delivery, or
possession of the fruit of black currant for the sole purpose of processing the fruit. In no event,
however, shall the fruit of black currant be transported, delivered, or used for the purpose of
extracting seed for planting. "

Technically speaking, if I ordered the only black currant I can grow in NH and its shipping route passed through Massachusetts, that would be a violation of the regulation.

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It’s also important to note that Consort is no longer considered immune in the Northeast, as there appears to be a different or new, mutated strain of WPBR.

Ribes regs definitely suck, but I understand why they have them. WPBR is a very serious disease of an ecologically and economically important species. If we could get rid of chestnut blight or Dutch elm disease by eliminating raspberries (completely ficticious, for illustration purposes), we might think twice about growing raspberries.

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illegal in Maine also. grow Crandall clove currants (Ribes odoratum) native to the midwest and not covered by the ban. i have 2 in my yard and haven’t seen any diseases on them. taste is better for fresh eating and bigger berries but not as good in jams as nigrum inmho. a friend of mine grows consort and in the last 7 yrs. hasn’t had any issues with W.P.B.R but this far north theres not many pines. more spuce which isn’t affected by the rust.

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It might be worthwhile to petition your regulators to allow Willoughby black currant, as NH allows this variety. NH was where the study was done that demonstrated loss of WPBR resistance, so they’re fairly strict. A long shot, but a fight worth fighting.

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I need to amend my earlier statement. I just learned that Consort is R sanguinium, so that might be ok. I highly recommend asking your county extension agent; they should either be able to give you an authoritative answer or tell you who can.

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I do not think that Consort is R. sanguinium. I believe it is Ribes ussuriense, which is a black currant and is illegal in Mass (unfortunately).

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Consort is Ribes nigrum and had been crossed originally with Ribes ussuriense for resistance to WPBR.

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If you write to your department Of agri. They will either ask you how close do you live to white pine forests, and say its fine or charge you 150.00 per plant to grow them. I had to pay the fee in RI, where mine were growing. MA and RI work closely together.