Practical
Plants

Ribes fasciculatum

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
1.5 m
Fertility
Self sterile, Insects
Flower type
dioecious
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Edible uses

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

Fruit - raw or cooked[8]. Unpalatable[1]. The reddish-brown fruit is about 5 - 10mm in diameter and contains a lot of fairly large seeds[12]. What little flesh there is remains unpleasant even in the autumn[K]. The fruit hangs well, probably because it is unpalatable[K]. Young leaves - cooked[2][8].

Plant part
Fruit
Plant part
Leaves

Environment

Range
E. Asia - China, Japan, Korea.
Habitat
Stony places near villages in Korea[5]. Forests and forest margins, bamboo woods, foothills, stony slopes and roadsides at elevations of 700 - 2400 metres in China[12].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light 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 0 to 9°c and should be sown as early in the year as possible[4][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, 10 - 15cm with a heel, July/August in a frame[13][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[13][10].

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][10]. Plants are quite tolerant of shade though do not fruit so well in such a position[3]. Hardy to about -20°c[10]. The flowers have a delicious aromatic perfume[11]. The fruit can hang on the plant until winter[9]. 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[10]. Female flowers appear to be perfect but the pollen in them and the ovules in the male flowers are sterile[3]. Plants are therefore functionally dioecious, male and female plants must be grown if fruit and seed is required.

References

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

    ↩

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

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2↩3

  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. Wilson. E. H. and Trollope. M. N. Corean Flora. Royal Asiatic Society 1918-00-00

    ↩

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

    ↩

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

    ↩

  8. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  11. Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994-00-00 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8

    ↩

  12. Flora of China 1994-00-00 http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩1↩2

Edit this page