Ribes hirtellum
| Ribes hirtellum | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 4 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 3' |
| Blooms: | Mid Spring |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Ribes hirtellum (common name: currant-gooseberry)
Propagation: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a cold frame. Stored seed requires 4 - 5 months cold stratification at between 0 to 9°c and should be sown as early in the year as possible[1][2]. 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[3][1].
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[3][4].
Cultivation: Easily grown in a moisture retentive but well-drained loamy soil of at least moderate quality[5][4]. Prefers a very sunny position[5].
Hardy to about -20°c[4].
Closely allied to R. uva-crispa and R. oxyacanthoides[5], it is often cultivated for its edible fruit[6] and is the parent of many disease-resistant American gooseberry cultivars[4]. It is sometimes crossed with European hybrids[4].
Plants can harbour a stage of white pine blister rust, so should not be grown in the vicinity of pine trees[7]. Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus[4].
Range: Northern N. America - Newfoundland to Manitoba, West Virginia and South Dakota.
Habitat: Rocky or swampy woods and clearings[8].
Edibility: Fruit - raw or cooked in jams, jellies, pies, preserves etc[9][5][10][11][12]. A smooth-skinned gooseberry[13] with a pleasant taste[12][K]. The fruit can also be dried for later use[12][14]. The fruit is about 8 - 10mm in diameter[4].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Also Known As: Grossularia hirtella. (Michx.)Cov.&Britt.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Dirr, Michael and Charles Heuser. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press, 1987.
- ↑ Bird, Alfred. Growing from Seed Volume 4. Thompson and Morgan, 1990.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Sheat, Wilfrid. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. St Martin, 1948.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ Corbetta, Francisco. The COmplete Book of Fruits and Vegetables. 1985.
- ↑ Arnberger, Leslie. Flowers of the Southwest Mountains. Southwestern Monuments, 1968.
- ↑ Lyndon, Merritt. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co, 1950.
- ↑ Simmons, Alan. Growing Unusual Fruit. David and Charles, 1972.
- ↑ Harrington, Harold. Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains. University of New Mexico Press, 1967.
- ↑ Turner, Nancy. Edible Wild Fruits and Nuts of Canada. National Museum of Natural Sciences, 1978.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Britton, Nathaniel and Addison Brown. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada. Dover Publications, 1970.
- ↑ Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.