Ribes is a genus of about 200 shrubs from cool temperate regions, including redcurrants, blackcurrants, whitecurrants and gooseberries grown for fruit and ornamental flowering currants. Most need a cool winter rest and reliably moist, well-drained soil to fruit well.
Family
Grossulariaceae (Grossulari family)
Light
Full sun, Part shade
Water
Keep soil evenly moist, especially during fruiting, and mulch to retain moisture.
Soil
Fertile, well-drained loam with plenty of organic matter.
Temperature
Hardy to around -30 °C; needs a cold winter dormancy, grows best in cool summers.
How easy
Easy
Safety
Not known to be toxic
Edible
Yes, some parts
About
Ribes ( RY-beez) is a genus of approximately 200 known species of flowering plants, predominantly native to the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Ribes is the sole genus in the plant family Grossulariaceae. The genus includes species commonly referred to as redcurrants, blackcurrants, whitecurrants, and gooseberries. Several species are cultivated both for their edible fruit and as ornamental plants in horticulture. Ribes are the main alternate host for white pine blister rust, a fungal pathogen impacting five-needle pines.
How to grow it
The genus Ribes includes the edible currants: blackcurrant, redcurrant, and white currant, as well as the European gooseberry, Ribes uva-crispa, and several hybrid varieties. It should not be confused with the dried currants used in cakes and puddings, which are from the Zante currant, a small-fruited cultivar of the grape Vitis vinifera. Ribes gives its name to the popular blackcurrant cordial Ribena.
The genus also includes the group of ornamental plants collectively known as the flowering currants, for instance, R. sanguineum.
Where it grows
Ribes is widely distributed through the Northern Hemisphere, and also extending south in the mountainous areas of South America. Species can be found in meadows or near streams.
Uses
A number of species produce edible berries, some of which are categorized as currants and gooseberries.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Ribes by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.