Herb: Currant-Gooseberry


Latin name: Ribes hirtellum


Synonyms: Grossularia hirtella, Ribes gracile


Family: Grossulariaceae (Currant Family)



Edible parts of Currant-Gooseberry:

Fruit - raw or cooked in jams, jellies, pies, preserves etc. A smooth-skinned gooseberry with a pleasant taste. The fruit can also be dried for later use. The fruit is about 8 - 10mm in diameter.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Shrub

Height:
100 cm
(3 1/4 foot)

Flowering:
April

Habitat of the herb:

Rocky or swampy woods and clearings.

Propagation of Currant-Gooseberry:

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a cold frame. Stored seed requires 4 - 5 months cold stratification at between 0 to 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, 10 - 15cm with a heel, 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:

Rocky or swampy woods and clearings.

Medicinal use of Currant-Gooseberry:

None known

Known hazards of Ribes hirtellum:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.