About
A vigorous, upright, deciduous, fruiting shrub to 1.5m in height with arching stems and serrated, 3-lobed green leaves from spring to autumn. Pale green flowers in spring are followed by heavy crops of pale yellow-white, sweet fruit that are ripe in mid- to late-summer.
About the genus
Ribes can be deciduous or evergreen shrubs, sometimes spiny, with simple, usually palmately lobed leaves and small tubular or bell-shaped, solitary or racemose flowers borne in spring or summer, followed by juicy, sometimes edible berries
Growing conditions
SunlightFull sun, Partial shade
Soil typeClay, Loam, Sand
Soil pHNeutral
Soil moistureMoist but well-drained, Well-drained
AspectSouth-facing, East-facing, West-facing
ExposureSheltered
UK hardinessH6
Plant details
Plant typeShrubs, Fruit Edible
HabitBushy
FoliageDeciduous
Height1-1.5 metres
Spread1-1.5 metres
Time to full height5-10 years
Suggested usesCottage and informal garden, Wildlife gardens
Care notes
CultivationGrow as a permanent framework as a bush, standard, cordon or fan. Keep area around clear of other plants. Mulch with well rotted compost, manure or bark particularly on dry soils. See gooseberry cultivation
PruningMain pruning in dormant season; also summer pruning of vigorous laterals
PropagationPropagate by hardwood cuttings in autumn
Pest resistanceMay be susceptible to aphids, scale insects and gooseberry sawfly
Disease resistanceMay be susceptible to a leaf spot, powdery mildews, coral spot and sometimes honey fungus