Herb: Sierra Gooseberry


Latin name: Ribes roezlii


Synonyms: Grossularia roezlii, Ribes amictum


Family: Grossulariaceae (Currant Family)



Edible parts of Sierra Gooseberry:

Fruit - raw or cooked. The fruit can be dried for later use. The fruit is up to 15mm in diameter.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Shrub

Height:
150 cm
(5 feet)

Habitat of the herb:

Dry open slopes, 1000 - 2500 metres.

Propagation of Sierra Gooseberry:

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

Dry open slopes, 1000 - 2500 metres.

Medicinal use of Sierra Gooseberry:

None known

Known hazards of Ribes roezlii:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.