Altissimum Currant / Gooseberry (Ribes altissimum)

Family: Grossulariaceae | Edibility: Edible (3/5)

Ribes altissimum is a deciduous Shrub growing to 3 m (9ft 10in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 6 and is not frost tender. It is in flower in May, and the seeds ripen from July to August. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil.

Edible Parts & Harvest Seasons

Edible Parts: Fruit, Berries

Harvest Seasons: Early Summer, Fall, Late Summer

Flavor & Culinary Uses

pleasant acid taste. — Fruit - raw or cooked.; Small with a thick skin and a pleasant acid taste.; The fruit is abundantly produced in the wild.; The purplish-black fruit is about 7mm in diameter.

Habitat & North American Range

Taluses composed of large stones in the forest zone, often into the bald mountain zone. Coniferous or mixed forests and forest margins on mountain slopes below 2000 metres in N. China. (Zone 5, Zone 6, Zone 7, Zone 8, Zone 9)