Herb: Appalachian Gooseberry


Latin name: Ribes rotundifolium


Synonyms: Grossularia rotundifolia


Family: Grossulariaceae (Currant Family)



Medicinal use of Appalachian Gooseberry:

An infusion of the bark has been used in the treatment of diarrhoea and measles. An infusion of the leaf has been used as a sedative in cases of nerves.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Shrub

Height:
100 cm
(3 1/4 foot)

Habitat of the herb:

Open rocky places and thickets, ascending to the highest crests.

Edible parts of Appalachian Gooseberry:

Fruit - raw or cooked. A smooth-skinned gooseberry with a very good flavour. The fruit is about 6 - 8mm 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 or more cold stratification at between -2 and 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 Appalachian Gooseberry:

Open rocky places and thickets, ascending to the highest crests.

Known hazards of Ribes rotundifolium:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.