Ribes hudsonianum
| Ribes hudsonianum | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 3' |
| Blooms: | Late Spring |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Ribes hudsonianum (common name: hudson bay currant)
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]. Plants are quite tolerant of shade though do not fruit so well in such a position[5].
Hardy to about -20°c[4].
Plants can harbour a stage of 'white pine blister rust', so they should not be grown in the vicinity of pine trees. Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus[4].
Range: Northern N. America - Alaska to Oregon, south to British Columbia and Minnesota.
Habitat: Swampy woods and rocky slopes[6].
Edibility: Fruit - raw or cooked[7][8][9][10][11]. Mainly used in jams, jellies etc[12]. The fruit is about 5 - 10mm in diameter[4].
Medicinal: A decoction of the stem sections, used alone or with wild gooseberry stems (Ribes spp) has been used to treat sickness after childbirth[11].
The raw fruits have been eaten as a treatment for colds[11].
A decoction of leaves and fruits has been used to treat sickness in general[11].
A decoction of the stems and leaves has been used in the treatment of colds, sore throats and stomach complaints[11].
A decoction of the roots has been taken as a general panacea to treat all types of sickness and also tuberculosis[11].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Seed Ripens: Mid Summer-Late Summer
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
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 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ Lyndon, Merritt. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co, 1950.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ Turner, Nancy. Edible Wild Fruits and Nuts of Canada. National Museum of Natural Sciences, 1978.
- ↑ Yanovsky, Elias. Food Plants of the North American Indians Publication 237. US Department of Agriculture.
- ↑ Schofield, Janice. Discovering Wild Plants.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
- ↑ Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.