Ribes alpinum
Alpine Currant

Uses

Edible uses

Notes

Fruit - raw or cooked^[1]. Sweet and not very acid, but less palatable than R. rubrum, the red currant^[2]. An insipid fruit^[3], it is not palatable^[4]^[5]. 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].

Fruit

Unknown use

Material uses

The cultivar 'Green Mound' makes a good dwarf hedge^[6]. Plants can be grown as a tall ground cover when spaced about 2 metres apart each way^[7]. The cultivars 'Aureum' and 'Pumilum' are smaller growing and should be spaced about 1 metre apart^[7].

There are no material uses listed for Ribes alpinum.

Medicinal uses(Warning!)

There are no medicinal uses listed for Ribes alpinum.

Ecology

Ecosystem niche/layer

Soil surface

Ecological Functions

Ground cover

Hedge

Forage

Nothing listed.

Shelter

Nothing listed.

Propagation

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^[8]^[9]. 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^[8].

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^[10]^[11].

Practical Plants is currently lacking information on propagation instructions of Ribes alpinum. Help us fill in the blanks! Edit this page to add your knowledge.

Cultivation

Easily grown in a moisture retentive but well-drained loamy soil of at least moderate quality^[5]^[11]. This species succeeds on poor soils^[5]. Does well in shade though it does not fruit so well in such a position^[5].

A very hardy plant, tolerating temperatures down to about -25°c^[12]. A number of named varieties have been developed for their ornamental value. The flowers are sweetly fragrant^[7]. 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^[13]. Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus^[11].

Crops

Problems, pests & diseases

Associations & Interactions

There are no interactions listed for Ribes alpinum. Do you know of an interaction that should be listed here? edit this page to add it.

Polycultures & Guilds

There are no polycultures listed which include Ribes alpinum.

Descendants

Cultivars

Varieties

None listed.

Subspecies

None listed.

Full Data

This table shows all the data stored for this plant.

References

? ^1.0^1.1 Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing (1976-00-00)
? ^2.0^2.1 Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications ISBN 0-486-20459-6 (1972-00-00)
? ^3.0^3.1 Polunin. O. Flowers of Europe - A Field Guide. Oxford University Press ISBN 0192176218 (1969-00-00)
? ^4.0^4.1 F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press (1951-00-00)
? ^5.0^5.1^5.2^5.3^5.4^5.5 Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray (1981-00-00)
? ^6.0^6.1 Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray ISBN 0-7195-5043-2 (1992-00-00)
? ^7.0^7.1^7.2^7.3 Thomas. G. S. Plants for Ground Cover J. M. Dent & Sons ISBN 0-460-12609-1 (1990-00-00)
? ^8.0^8.1 Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press ISBN 0942375009 (1987-00-00)
? Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 4. Thompson and Morgan. (1990-00-00)
? Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co (1948-00-00)
? ^11.0^11.1^11.2^11.3 Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press ISBN 0-333-47494-5 (1992-00-00)
? Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Shrubs. Pan Books ISBN 0-330-30258-2 (1989-00-00)
? Arnberger. L. P. Flowers of the Southwest Mountains. Southwestern Monuments Ass. (1968-00-00)
? Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press (1962-00-00)

"image:Ribes alpinum Sturm49.jpg|248px" cannot be used as a page name in this wiki.

[PFAFimport-105-1] ? ^1.0^1.1 Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing (1976-00-00)

[PFAFimport-2-2] ? ^2.0^2.1 Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications ISBN 0-486-20459-6 (1972-00-00)

[PFAFimport-100-3] ? ^3.0^3.1 Polunin. O. Flowers of Europe - A Field Guide. Oxford University Press ISBN 0192176218 (1969-00-00)

[PFAFimport-1-4] ? ^4.0^4.1 F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press (1951-00-00)

[PFAFimport-11-5] ? ^5.0^5.1^5.2^5.3^5.4^5.5 Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray (1981-00-00)

[PFAFimport-182-6] ? ^6.0^6.1 Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray ISBN 0-7195-5043-2 (1992-00-00)

[PFAFimport-208-7] ? ^7.0^7.1^7.2^7.3 Thomas. G. S. Plants for Ground Cover J. M. Dent & Sons ISBN 0-460-12609-1 (1990-00-00)

[PFAFimport-113-8] ? ^8.0^8.1 Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press ISBN 0942375009 (1987-00-00)

[PFAFimport-164-9] ? Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 4. Thompson and Morgan. (1990-00-00)

[PFAFimport-78-10] ? Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co (1948-00-00)

[PFAFimport-200-11] ? ^11.0^11.1^11.2^11.3 Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press ISBN 0-333-47494-5 (1992-00-00)

[PFAFimport-184-12] ? Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Shrubs. Pan Books ISBN 0-330-30258-2 (1989-00-00)

[PFAFimport-155-13] ? Arnberger. L. P. Flowers of the Southwest Mountains. Southwestern Monuments Ass. (1968-00-00)

[PFAFimport-17-14] ? Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press (1962-00-00)

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

Article is incomplete	Yes +
Article requires citations	No +
Article requires cleanup	Yes +
Belongs to family	Grossulariaceae +
Belongs to genus	Ribes +
Functions as	Ground cover + and Hedge +
Has binomial name	Ribes alpinum +
Has common name	Alpine Currant +
Has drought tolerance	Intolerant +
Has edible part	Fruit +
Has edible use	Unknown use +
Has fertility type	Self sterile +, Flies + and Bees +
Has flowers of type	Dioecious +
Has hardiness zone	2 +
Has image	Ribes alpinum Sturm49.jpg +
Has lifecycle type	Perennial +
Has mature height	1.2 +
Has mature width	1 +
Has primary image	Ribes alpinum Sturm49.jpg +
Has search name	ribes alpinum + and alpine currant +
Has shade tolerance	Light shade +
Has soil ph preference	Acid +, Neutral + and Alkaline +
Has soil texture preference	Sandy +, Loamy + and Clay +
Has soil water retention preference	Well drained +
Has sun preference	Full sun +
Has taxonomic rank	Species +
Has taxonomy name	Ribes alpinum +
Has water requirements	moderate +
Inhabits ecosystem niche	Soil surface +
Is deciduous or evergreen	Deciduous +
Is herbaceous or woody	Woody +
Is taxonomy type	Species +
PFAF cultivation notes migrated	No +
PFAF edible use notes migrated	No +
PFAF material use notes migrated	No +
PFAF medicinal use notes migrated	Yes +
PFAF propagation notes migrated	No +
PFAF toxicity notes migrated	Yes +
Tolerates nutritionally poor soil	No +
Uses mature size measurement unit	Meters +
Has subobjectThis property is a special property in this wiki.	Ribes alpinum +