Herb: Idaho Gooseberry


Latin name: Ribes irriguum


Synonyms: Grossularia irrigua, Ribes oxyacanthoides irriguum


Family: Grossulariaceae (Currant Family)



Medicinal use of Idaho Gooseberry:

A decoction of the root has been used as a tonic for the stomach.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Shrub

Height:
3 m
(9 3/4 foot)

Habitat of the herb:

Moist to dry canyons and open to wooded hillsides.

Edible parts of Idaho Gooseberry:

Fruit - raw or cooked. The fruit can be dried for later use. A gooseberry. The fruit is about 7 - 13mm in diameter.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a cold frame. Stored seed requires 3 months cold stratification at between 0 to 5°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 Idaho Gooseberry:

Moist to dry canyons and open to wooded hillsides.

Known hazards of Ribes irriguum:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.