Requires a sunny position or light dappled shade. Prefers a highly fertile well-drained loamy soil. This species is hardy to about -18°c according to one report whilst another says that it is only really hardy in the milder parts of Britain, though some forms should prove to be hardier. Requires cross-pollination for good fruit production. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus.

Fruit - raw. Juicy, sweet, fleshy, slightly aromatic. The fruit is about 6mm in diameter.

Seed - sow February in a greenhouse. Only just cover the seed. Germination usually takes place within 1 - 3 months at 18°c. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter, planting them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of half-ripe wood 10cm long, July/August in a frame. High percentage. Cuttings of mature wood of the current season's growth with a heel taken in early spring.

Rich woods and thickets.