Ribes hudsonianum
Richardson
Northern Black Currant, Hudson Bay Currant
(c) Grace Fletcher, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Grace Fletcher
(c) mhays, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by mhays
(c) Aaron Wells, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Aaron Wells
What to Eat
Edible parts: Fruit
The fruit, about 5–10mm in diameter, can be eaten raw or cooked, though it is mainly used in jams and jellies.
Where to Find It
It is a temperate plant. It grows in swamps and shady woods.
Alaska, Canada, North America, USA,
How to Identify
A shrub. It grows 1-1.6 m high. The leaves are alternate and simple. They have 3-5 lobes. The leaves are slightly hairy and have gland dots underneath. They are 2.5-10 cm across. The leaves have a strong scent. The flowers are whitish and small. They occur in loose erect clusters. The fruit is a black edible berry.
How to Grow
Easily grown in a moisture retentive but well-drained loamy soil of at least moderate quality. Plants are quite tolerant of shade though do not fruit so well in such a position. 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 4–5 months 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, grow on in a cold frame for their first winter, then plant out in late spring the following year. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 10–15cm with a heel, 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
A decoction of stem sections, used alone or combined with wild gooseberry stems (Ribes spp.), has been used to treat sickness after childbirth. Raw fruits have been eaten as a remedy for colds. A decoction of leaves and fruits has been used to treat general sickness. A decoction of stems and leaves has been used for colds, sore throats, and stomach complaints. A decoction of the roots has been taken as a general panacea for all types of sickness and also for tuberculosis.
Other Uses
None known.
Wikipedia
Source ↗Ribes hudsonianum is a North American species of currant, known by the common name northern black currant.
Other Information
The fruit are only eaten as a famine food.
Notes
There are about 150 Ribes species.
Names & Synonyms
Deetree' jak
References (13)
- Beckstrom-Sternberg, Stephen M., and James A. Duke. "The Foodplant Database." http://probe.nalusda.gov:8300/cgi-bin/browse/foodplantdb.(ACEDB version 4.0 - data version July 1994)
- Cormack, R. G. H., 1967, Wild Flowers of Alberta. Commercial Printers Edmonton, Canada. p 139
- Fisk, J. R. & Hoover, E., 2015, Wild Fruits of Minnesota. A Field Guide. University of Minnesota p 17
- J. Franklin, Narr. journey Polar Sea 734. 1823 (Bot. App. 6)
- Hedrick, U.P., 1919, (Ed.), Sturtevant's edible plants of the world. p 563
- Heller, C. A., 1962, Wild Edible and Poisonous Plants of Alaska. Univ. of Alaska Extension Service. p 42
- Kermath, B. M., et al, 2014, Food Plants in the Americas: A survey of the domesticated, cultivated and wild plants used for Human food in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. On line draft. p 747
- Kuhnlein, H. V., et al, 2009, Indigenous Peoples' food systems. FAO Rome p 53
- MacKinnon, A., et al, 2009, Edible & Medicinal Plants of Canada. Lone Pine. p 104
- Moerman, D. F., 2010, Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press. p 477
- Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
- Turner, N., 1997, Food Plants of Interior First Peoples. Royal BC Museum Handbook p 126
- Turner, N., et al, 2011, "Up on the Mountain": Ethnobotanical Important of Montane Sites in Pacific Coastal North America. Journal of Ethnobiology 31(1): 4-43
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