Ribes altissimum
a perennial woody deciduous member of the Ribes genus in the family Grossulariaceae.
Taxonomy and growth
- Family
- Grossulariaceae
- Genus
- Ribes
- Life cycle
- perennial
- Foliage
- deciduous
- Woodiness
- woody
- Height
- 3 m
- Fertility
- Insects
- Flower type
- hermaphrodite
- Pollinators
- Insects
Uses
Edible uses
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Fruit - raw or cooked. Small with a thick skin and a pleasant acid taste[7]. The fruit is abundantly produced in the wild[7]. The purplish-black fruit is about 7mm in diameter[6].
- Plant part
- Fruit
Environment
- Range
- E. Asia - N. China, Mongolia, Siberia.
- Habitat
- Taluses composed of large stones in the forest zone, often into the bald mountain zone[7]. Coniferous or mixed forests and forest margins on mountain slopes below 2000 metres in N. China[6].
- Light
- full sun
- Shade tolerance
- light shade
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- Zone 6+
- 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[2][4]. 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[2]. 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[8][5].
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[1][5]. Does well in shade though does not fruit so well in such a position[1]. Hardy to about -20°c[5]. Plants can harbour a stage of white pine blister rust, so should not be grown in the vicinity of pine trees[3]. Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus[5]. This plant is possibly useful as part of a breeding programme for red currants[7].
References
Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00
Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press 1987-00-00 ISBN 0942375009
Arnberger. L. P. Flowers of the Southwest Mountains. Southwestern Monuments Ass. 1968-00-00
Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 4. Thompson and Morgan. 1990-00-00
Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Flora of China 1994-00-00 http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
Komarov. V. L. Flora of the USSR. Israel Program for Scientific Translation 1968-00-00
Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948-00-00