Ribes ambiguum
Maxim.
Ground Gooseberry, Siskiyou Gooseberry
(c) WATANABE Hitoshi 渡辺仁, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by WATANABE Hitoshi 渡辺仁
(c) Steve Matson, some rights reserved (CC BY)
What to Eat
Edible parts: Fruit
The green fruit, which can reach 12mm in diameter, has an acid flavour and is commonly eaten in areas where it grows wild. It can be used raw or cooked.
Where to Find It
It is a temperate plant. In Sichuan.
Asia, China, Japan,
How to Identify
A small shrub. It grows 60 cm high. The leaves are 5 cm wide and have 3-5 kidney shaped lobes. They are smooth above and have glands underneath. The fruit is a large, orange-yellow berry. They are 1.5 cm across.
How to Grow
Easily grown in a moisture retentive but well-drained loamy soil of at least moderate quality. Quite tolerant of shade though not fruiting so well in such a position. Prefers a cool sheltered position in a leafy soil. Hardy to about -20°c. 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.
Propagation: Seed is best sown as soon as it is ripe in autumn in a cold frame. Stored seed requires 3 months of cold stratification at 0–9°c and should be sown as early in the year as possible. Under normal storage conditions seed can remain viable for 17 years or more. Prick out seedlings into individual pots when large enough to handle and grow on in a cold frame for their first winter, planting out in late spring the following year. Cuttings of half-ripe wood can be taken in 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, can be taken November to February in a cold frame or sheltered bed outdoors.
Medicinal Uses
None known.
Other Uses
None known.
Wikipedia
Source ↗Compact deciduous shrub growing to 0.6 m tall. Hermaphrodite flowers bloom in May; seeds mature July to August. Tolerates light, medium, or heavy well-drained soils across mildly acid to basic pH ranges. Can grow in semi-shade or full sun and prefers moist soil. Hardy to UK zone 6.
Notes
There are about 150 Ribes species.
References (3)
- Flora of China @ efloras.org Volume 8
- Hedrick, U.P., 1919, (Ed.), Sturtevant's edible plants of the world. p 561
- Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
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