About

A heavy cropping olive green gooseberry, suitable for eating straight from the bush or used in cooking . A deciduous shrub with a spreading bushy habit and mid-green lobed leaves. Pale green flowers appear March to April and picking begins in Mid-July. Self-fertile.

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 typeChalk, Loam, Sand
Soil pHNeutral, Alkaline, Acid
Soil moistureMoist but well-drained
AspectEast-facing, North-facing, South-facing, West-facing
ExposureSheltered
UK hardinessH6

Plant details

Plant typeFruit Edible, Shrubs
HabitSpreading branched
FoliageDeciduous
Height1-1.5 metres
Spread1-1.5 metres
Time to full height2-5 years
Suggested usesCottage and informal garden

Care notes

CultivationGrow gooseberries in a moist but well-drained soil that has been improves with organic matter. Mildly alkaline (chalky) soils are tolerated. They can be grown as goblet-shaped bushes or cordons. Water well as fruits swell and keep the base of the plants weed and grass-free. See gooseberry cultivation for more growing advice
PruningPrune gooseberries in winter and summer
PropagationPropagate by hardwood cuttings
Pest resistanceMay be susceptible to gooseberry sawfly, capsid bug, birds, squirrels and aphids can be problematic
Disease resistanceMay be susceptible to American gooseberry mildew and gooseberry leaf spot can cause problems