PlantFiles: Gooseberry, Goosegogs
Ribes uva-crispa

Varieties sorely lacking in America. Commonly offered "Pixwell" not worth growing. "Hannomaki Red" are good for eating off the bush.

Great controversy over whether this is an alternate host to White Pine Rust; still not allowed to grow ribes in some states around large stands of white pine.

Branches are low-growing; they frequently layer and form new bushes. This seems to promote fruiting.

Bushes are very thorny; gloves should be worn for harvesting as with blackberries and raspberries.

Gooseberries make wonderful pies, use them in place of blueberries: pancakes, coffeecake, etc. They should be stemmed before cooking.

Gooseberries grow well in ground not enough acidic for blueberries or cranberries. They thrive in shade or sun.

A fruiting shrub from Europe, West Asia and parts of North Africa.

Has 3-5 lobed, mid green, slightly hairy, scented leaves on branches which bear stiff spines. Bears small, white flowers with pinkish sepals, if this flower was much larger people would grow it as an ornamental. In Summer it bears green, white, red or yellow oviod fruit, which can be hairy or smooth skinned.

Flowers March-May

A native of woodland but will tolerate in full sun, likes a humus rich, fertile, well drained soil.

The fruit was used as an anti-inflammatory and indigestion cure. They were also used as a tonic and as an appetite stimulant.

The fruit are full of vitamin C and other vitamins and trace minerals.

They make a good jam, jelly, curd or sauce which will go with meat as well as sweet dishes.

Taste ranges from sweet to acid with yellow being the sweetest, red the most acid.

The leaves will suffer from mildew as the bush has many branches, prune out every third branch. They fruit on year old onwards branches so don't be tempted to remove all older stems if you want fruit.

Will also grow to a great age and still fruit well, some old bushes reputedly get to 50ft tall.