Practical
Plants

Ribes cereum

Wax Currant

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

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Ribes
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
deciduous
Woodiness
woody
Height
1.8 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[13][2][7][10]. Not very nice, large quantities can cause nausea[15]. Reports on the quality of the fruit range from insipid and rubbery to highly esteemed as an article of diet[12]. The fruit can also be used to make pemmican, jellies, jams, sauces and pies[10]. Fruits can also be dried for later use[15]. Young leaves[10]. No more details are given. Flowers - raw[10]. A sweet flavour[15].

Plant part
Flowers
Plant part
Fruit
Plant part
Leaves

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

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

An infusion of the inner bark has been used as a wash for sore eyes[12]. The fruit has been eaten in quantity as an emetic[12]. It has also been used to treat diarrhoea[12].

Product or use
Astringent
Product or use
Emetic
Product or use
Ophthalmic

Environment

Range
Western N. America.
Habitat
Canyons, dry ravines, hillsides, prairies and open woodland[13].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 5+
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 4 - 5 months cold stratification at between -2 to 0°c and should be sown as early in the year as possible[4][8]. 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[14][4]. 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][11].

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[3][11]. Requires a sunny position[3]. Hardy to about -20°c[11]. A very ornamental and free-flowering plant[1]. Often cultivated for its edible fruit in N. America[13]. It is disease-resistant and is being used in modern blackcurrant breeding programmes[5]. Plants can harbour a stage of 'white pine blister rust', so they should not be grown in the vicinity of pine trees[6]. Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus[11]. Related to R. viscosissimum[9].

References

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

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  2. Turner. N. J. and Szczawinski. A. Edible Wild Fruits and Nuts of Canada. National Museum of Natural Sciences 1978-00-00

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

    ↩1↩2

  4. 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

  5. Roach. F. A. Cultivated Fruits of Britain. Oxford University Press 1985-00-00

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

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  7. Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237. U.S. Depf of Agriculture.

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

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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. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

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

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  12. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  13. Elias. T. and Dykeman. P. A Field Guide to N. American Edible Wild Plants. Van Nostrand Reinhold 1982-00-00 ISBN 0442222009

    ↩1↩2↩3

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

    ↩1↩2

  15. Harrington. H. D. Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains. University of New Mexico Press 1967-00-00 ISBN 0-8623-0343-9

    ↩1↩2↩3

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