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Ribes quercetorum - Greene

Common Name Oak Gooseberry
Family Grossulariaceae
USDA hardiness 7-9
Known Hazards None known
Habitats Rocky slopes and canyon walls, dry slopes in woodlands; at elevations up to 2,500 metres[270 ].
Range Southwestern N. America - California, Arizona, Baja California.
Edibility Rating    (2 of 5)
Other Uses    (0 of 5)
Weed Potential No
Medicinal Rating    (0 of 5)
Care (info)
Frost Hardy Moist Soil Semi-shade Full sun
Ribes quercetorum Oak Gooseberry


John Rusk from Berkeley, CA, United States of America Creative Commons Attribution 2.0
Ribes quercetorum Oak Gooseberry
John Rusk from Berkeley, CA, United States of America Creative Commons Attribution 2.0

 

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Summary

Ribes quercetorum is a spiny, deciduous shrub with arched, spreading stems; it can grow 60 - 150cm tall[270 ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food. Desert gooseberry (Ribes quercetorum) yields pleasantly sweet but seedy red berries, thrives in USDA Zones 7–9, and is not weedy.


Physical Characteristics

 icon of manicon of shrub
Ribes quercetorum is a deciduous Shrub growing to 1 m (3ft 3in) by 1 m (3ft 3in) at a fast rate.
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 8 and is not frost tender. The flowers are pollinated by Insects.
It is noted for attracting wildlife.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.

UK Hardiness Map US Hardiness Map

Synonyms

Homotypic Synonyms: Grossularia quercetorum (Greene) Coville & Britton. R. leptanthum var. quercetorum (Greene) Jancz. Heterotypic Synonyms: Grossularia congdonii (A.Heller) A.Berger. R. congdonii A.Heller.

Plant Habitats

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked. Palatable[270 ]. The black, globose fruit is 7 - 8mm in diameter[270 ]. Desert gooseberry (Ribes quercetorum) produces dark-red, shiny, hairless, and spineless berries that are generally pleasantly sweet with minimal foul or resinous notes. The main drawback is that the berries are packed with numerous seeds, though the seeds are soft and easily chewed. This makes them less juicy compared to other currants, but still palatable. As its name suggests, it thrives in low-elevation desert habitats, often fruiting early in the year. Flowers bloom from January to May, and by midsummer, most berries are already gone, leaving the shrub nearly leafless until summer rains encourage some regrowth. Despite the spiny stems, harvesting berries is fairly easy, and Native Americans valued them as a reliable seasonal food [2-3].

References   More on Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.


None known

References   More on Medicinal Uses

Other Uses

None known

Special Uses

References   More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

Species in this genus are generally easy to grow, preferring a position in the sun (where they fruit best) or moderate shade and succeeding in most moist but well-drained soils of at least moderate fertility[11 ]. The pale yellow flowers are fagrant[11 ]. White pine blister rust, caused by the pathogen Cronartium ribicola, is a fungal disease that is native to Asia but has spread via human activity to many other regions, where it has become more virulent. It has a complex life cycle requiring currants (Ribes species) and white pines (Pinus species of the section Strobus) for the disease to spread. While Ribes species can generally live with the disease (it has an annual life cycle and infects the leaves only), Pinus species can be devastated by it (it becomes perennial and spreads through the tree). Young pines are far more susceptible than mature trees. In America, the growing of certain Ribe species is banned in some areas to protect plantations of white pine species. Plants in this genus tend to be notably susceptible to honey fungus[200 ]. USDA Hardiness & Weed Potential: Desert gooseberry grows in southern Arizona and California, typically in arid habitats, and is adapted to USDA Hardiness Zones 7–9. It is a native desert shrub and is not considered weedy or invasive.

References   Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information

Temperature Converter

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Plant Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a cold frame. Stored seed requires 3 months of cold stratification at 0 - 9°c and should be sown as early in the year as possible[113, 164 ]. 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, mid summer in a frame[113 ]. Cuttings of mature wood of the current year's growth, preferably with a heel of the previous year's growth, late autumn to late winter in a cold frame or sheltered bed outdoors[78, 200 ].

Other Names

If available other names are mentioned here

Desert, oak, or rock gooseberry (Ribes quercetorum)

Native Range

Native to: California, Mexico Northwest.

Weed Potential

Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section. Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it's worth checking.

It is a native desert shrub and is not considered weedy or invasive.

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status : Not available

IUCN Red List

Related Plants
Latin NameCommon NameHabitHeightHardinessGrowthSoilShadeMoistureEdibleMedicinalOther
Embelia ribesFalse black pepper, White-flowered EmbeliaClimber15.0 10-12 FLMHSM342
Rheum ribes Perennial1.5 5-9  MHSNDM20 
Ribes aciculare Shrub1.0 3-7  LMHSNM30 
Ribes alpinumAlpine CurrantShrub1.2 2-7 MLMHSNM304
Ribes altissimum Shrub3.0 5-9  LMHSNM30 
Ribes ambiguum Shrub0.6 5-9  LMHSNM20 
Ribes americanumAmerican BlackcurrantShrub1.8 -  LMHSNM21 
Ribes aureumGolden CurrantShrub2.4 3-8 FLMHSNDM412
Ribes bracteosumStink CurrantShrub2.5 6-9  LMHNM21 
Ribes burejenseBureja gooseberry,Shrub1.0 4-8  LMHSNM400
Ribes californicumHillside GooseberryShrub0.0 6-9  LMHNM20 
Ribes cereumWax CurrantShrub1.8 4-8  LMHNDM21 
Ribes curvatumGranite gooseberryShrub1.0 6-9  LMHSNM30 
Ribes cynosbatiDogberry, Eastern prickly gooseberryShrub1.5 0-0  LMHSNM310
Ribes diacanthumSiberian currantShrub1.8 0-0  LMHSNM20 
Ribes distans Shrub0.6 4-8  LMHSNM20 
Ribes divaricatumCoastal Black Gooseberry, Spreading gooseberry, Parish's gooseberry, Straggly gooseberryShrub2.7 4-8  LMHSNM412
Ribes fasciculatum Shrub1.5 4-8  LMHSNM10 
Ribes fragrans Shrub0.6 3-7  LMHSNM30 
Ribes gayanum Shrub1.5 7-10  LMHSNM30 
Ribes glaciale Shrub3.0 -  LMHSNM20 
Ribes glandulosumSkunk CurrantShrub0.4 -  LMHSNM213
Ribes griffithii Shrub2.5 -  LMHSNM20 
Ribes himalense Shrub2.0 5-9  LMHSNM31 
Ribes hirtellumCurrant-Gooseberry, Hairystem gooseberryShrub1.0 4-8  LMHNM300
Ribes horridum Shrub1.5 -  LMHSNM30 
Ribes hudsonianumHudson Bay Currant, Northern black currant, Western black currantShrub1.0 0-0  LMHSNM21 
Ribes inebriansWhisky CurrantShrub2.0 4-8  LMHSNM21 
Ribes inermeWhitestem Gooseberry, Klamath gooseberryShrub2.0 5-9  LMHSNM20 
Ribes irriguumIdaho GooseberryShrub3.0 -  LMHSNM21 
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Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.

 

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Author

Greene

Botanical References

Links / References

For a list of references used on this page please go here
A special thanks to Ken Fern for some of the information used on this page.

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Subject : Ribes quercetorum  
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