Herb latin name: Ribes aciculare


Synonyms: Grossularia aciculare


Family: Grossulariaceae (Currant Family)



Edible parts of Ribes aciculare:

Fruit - raw or cooked. Large, sweet and tasty. The red fruit is up to 15mm in diameter.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Shrub

Height:
100 cm
(3 1/4 foot)

Flowering:
May to
June

Habitat of the herb:

Open stony mountain and hill slopes. Forest margins, thickets and rocky slopes at elevations of 1500 - 2100 metres in northern China.

Propagation of Ribes aciculare:

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a cold frame. Stored seed requires 3 months cold stratification at 0 - 9°C and should be sown as early in the year as possible. Under normal storage conditions the seed can remain viable for 17 years or more. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in a cold frame for their first winter, planting them out in late spring of the following year. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame. Cuttings of mature wood of the current year's growth, preferably with a heel of the previous year's growth, November to February in a cold frame or sheltered bed outdoors.

Cultivation of the herb:

Open stony mountain and hill slopes. Forest margins, thickets and rocky slopes at elevations of 1500 - 2100 metres in northern China.

Medicinal use of Ribes aciculare:

None known

Known hazards of Ribes aciculare:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.