Herb latin name: Ribes procumbens


Family: Grossulariaceae (Currant Family)



Edible parts of Ribes procumbens:

Fruit - raw or cooked. An exceptional flavour, it merits cultivation. The purple-brown fruit is up to 13mm in diameter.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Shrub

Height:
22 cm
(8 3/4 inch)

Flowering:
May to
June

Habitat of the herb:

Well-drained sites with moist soil, stream and river banks, moist forests etc. Coniferous or mixed forests and river banks at low altitudes in N. China.

Propagation of Ribes procumbens:

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. Division of plants in the dormant season. The low branches form roots as they grow and these can be separated from the plant - bigger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions, though smaller ones are best potted up and then planted out during the summer.

Cultivation of the herb:

Well-drained sites with moist soil, stream and river banks, moist forests etc. Coniferous or mixed forests and river banks at low altitudes in N. China.

Medicinal use of Ribes procumbens:

None known

Known hazards of Ribes procumbens:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.