Herb latin name: Ribes laurifolium


Family: Grossulariaceae (Currant Family)



Edible parts of Ribes laurifolium:

Fruit - raw or cooked. A blackcurrant. The purple fruit can be up to 20mm long and 10mm wide. It can be hairy (in subspecies laurifolium ) or smooth (subspecies yunnanense ).

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Shrub

Height:
100 cm
(3 1/4 foot)

Flowering:
February
to April

Scent:
Scented
Shrub

Habitat of the herb:

Often found climbing into trees in forests, on slopes, river banks and rocks at elevations of 2100 - 3600 metres.

Propagation of Ribes laurifolium:

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 and 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 the herb:

Often found climbing into trees in forests, on slopes, river banks and rocks at elevations of 2100 - 3600 metres.

Medicinal use of Ribes laurifolium:

None known

Known hazards of Ribes laurifolium:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.