Practical
Plants

Ribes alpinum

Alpine Currant

a perennial woody deciduous member of the Ribes genus in the family Grossulariaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Ribes
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
deciduous
Woodiness
woody
Height
1.2 m
Spread
1 m
Fertility
Self sterile, Flies, Bees
Flower type
dioecious
Pollinators
Flies, Bees

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Fruit - raw or cooked[3]. Sweet and not very acid, but less palatable than R. rubrum, the red currant[11]. An insipid fruit[2], it is not palatable[1][4]. The only fruits we have eaten have been good size red currants with a fair flavour[K]. The fruit is about 5mm in diameter and can be freely borne when male and female plants are grown[K].

Plant part
Fruit

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The cultivar 'Green Mound' makes a good dwarf hedge[9]. Plants can be grown as a tall ground cover when spaced about 2 metres apart each way[13]. The cultivars 'Aureum' and 'Pumilum' are smaller growing and should be spaced about 1 metre apart[13].

Ecology and functions

Ecosystem niche
Soil surface

Environment

Range
Europe, including Britain, from Scandanavia south and east to N. Africa, Italy, Montenegro, Bulgaria
Habitat
Cliffs and rocky woods on limestone[8].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 2+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a cold frame. Stored seed requires 3 months cold stratification at 0 - 9°c and should be sown as early in the year as possible[5][7]. 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, July/August in a frame[5]. 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[14][12].

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Easily grown in a moisture retentive but well-drained loamy soil of at least moderate quality[4][12]. This species succeeds on poor soils[4]. Does well in shade though it does not fruit so well in such a position[4]. A very hardy plant, tolerating temperatures down to about -25°c[10]. A number of named varieties have been developed for their ornamental value. The flowers are sweetly fragrant[13]. Plants are dioecious. At least one male plant must be grown in the vicinity of up to 5 females if fruit is required. Plants can harbour a stage of white pine blister rust, so should not be grown in the vicinity of pine trees[6]. Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus[12].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

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  2. Polunin. O. Flowers of Europe - A Field Guide. Oxford University Press 1969-00-00 ISBN 0192176218

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  3. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

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  4. Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  5. Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press 1987-00-00 ISBN 0942375009

    ↩1↩2

  6. Arnberger. L. P. Flowers of the Southwest Mountains. Southwestern Monuments Ass. 1968-00-00

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  7. Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 4. Thompson and Morgan. 1990-00-00

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  8. Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962-00-00

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  9. Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2

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  10. Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Shrubs. Pan Books 1989-00-00 ISBN 0-330-30258-2

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  11. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

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  12. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3

  13. Thomas. G. S. Plants for Ground Cover J. M. Dent & Sons 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-460-12609-1

    ↩1↩2↩3

  14. Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948-00-00

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