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Ribes alpinum - L.

Common Name Alpine Currant
Family Grossulariaceae
USDA hardiness 2-7
Known Hazards None known
Habitats Cliffs and rocky woods on limestone[17].
Range Europe, including Britain, from Scandanavia south and east to N. Africa, Italy, Montenegro, Bulgaria
Edibility Rating    (3 of 5)
Other Uses    (4 of 5)
Weed Potential No
Medicinal Rating    (0 of 5)
Care (info)
Fully Hardy Moist Soil Semi-shade Full sun
Ribes alpinum Alpine Currant


http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:282_Ribes_alpinum.jpg
Ribes alpinum Alpine Currant
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Aka

 

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Summary

Bloom Color: Green, Yellow. Main Bloom Time: Early spring, Late spring, Mid spring. Form: Spreading or horizontal, Upright or erect.


Physical Characteristics

 icon of manicon of shrub
Ribes alpinum is a deciduous Shrub growing to 1.2 m (4ft) by 1 m (3ft 3in) at a medium rate.
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 2 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from April to May, and the seeds ripen from July to August. The species is dioecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant so both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required). and is pollinated by Flies, bees. The plant is not self-fertile.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor 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

Plant Habitats

Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Ground Cover; Hedge;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Fruit
Edible Uses:

Fruit - raw or cooked[105]. Sweet and not very acid, but less palatable than R. rubrum, the red currant[2]. An insipid fruit[100], it is not palatable[1, 11]. The only fruits we have eaten have been good size red currants with a fair flavour[K]. The fruit is about 5mm in diameter and can be freely borne when male and female plants are grown[K].

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

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Other Uses

Hedge  Hedge

The cultivar 'Green Mound' makes a good dwarf hedge[182]. Plants can be grown as a tall ground cover when spaced about 2 metres apart each way[208]. The cultivars 'Aureum' and 'Pumilum' are smaller growing and should be spaced about 1 metre apart[208].

Special Uses

Ground cover  Hedge  Hedge

References   More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

Landscape Uses:Erosion control, Foundation, Ground cover, Massing, Rock garden, Seashore. Easily grown in a moisture retentive but well-drained loamy soil of at least moderate quality[11, 200]. This species succeeds on poor soils[11]. Does well in shade though it does not fruit so well in such a position[11]. A very hardy plant, tolerating temperatures down to about -25°c[184]. A number of named varieties have been developed for their ornamental value. The flowers are sweetly fragrant[208]. Plants are dioecious. At least one male plant must be grown in the vicinity of up to 5 females if fruit is required. Plants can harbour a stage of white pine blister rust, so should not be grown in the vicinity of pine trees[155]. Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus[200]. Special Features: Not North American native, Inconspicuous flowers or blooms.

References   Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information

Temperature Converter

Type a value in the Celsius field to convert the value to Fahrenheit:

Fahrenheit:

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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 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, July/August in a frame[113]. Cuttings of mature wood of the current year's growth, preferably with a heel of the previous year's growth, November to February in a cold frame or sheltered bed outdoors[78, 200].

Other Names

If available other names are mentioned here

Adil nouchen, Inalad, Leanykafuge, Mage sostar, Mammuspuu, Naestomari, Planinska ribizla, Qars-momou, Taghmamoucht, Vad ribizli,

Native Range

TEMPERATE ASIA: Turkey (northeast), Russian Federation-Ciscaucasia (Ciscaucasia), Armenia, Georgia EUROPE: Denmark, Finland, United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, Austria, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Russian Federation-European part (European part (northwest)), Belarus, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Ukraine, Albania, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Italy, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, France AFRICA: Morocco

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.

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status :

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 altissimum Shrub3.0 5-9  LMHSNM30 
Ribes ambiguum Shrub0.6 5-9  LMHSNM20 
Ribes americanumAmerican BlackcurrantShrub1.8 -  LMHSNM21 
Ribes aureumGolden CurrantShrub2.4 3-8  LMHSNDM410
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 
123

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.

 

Expert comment

Author

L.

Botanical References

1117200

Links / References

For a list of references used on this page please go here

Readers comment

TL   Tue Jun 22 07:48:05 2004

This information was WAY MORE than I wanted to know about my Alpine Currant plant! I'll be taking 'Cuttings' from now on...

sandra murillo   Sat May 17 2008

how to tell which ones are male or female ? [email protected]

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Subject : Ribes alpinum  
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