Ribes uva-crispa
gooseberry
Family GrossulariaceaeAlso called European gooseberry
About
Ribes uva-crispa, the European gooseberry, is a spiny fruiting shrub native to Europe, the Caucasus and northern Africa, cultivated for berries used in desserts and preserves.
Care at a glance
- Pet safety
- Not recorded. We have no source on whether this plant is safe for cats, dogs or other pets — that is not the same as safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked.
- People
- Not recorded.
- Light
- Sun gives sweeter fruit; tolerates partial shade. Choose a sheltered spot, as brittle stems snap in wind when laden.
- Water
- Water in dry spells for the first two years; established plants in the ground rarely need extra water, but container plants need steady moisture without waterlogging.
- Soil
- Adapts to most soils; prefers moisture-retentive but well-drained ground.
- Pot
- Suitable for growing in containers.
- Propagation
- Hardwood cuttings about 30 cm long, rooted in pots of cuttings compost or a trench outdoors.
- Mature size
- Bushes 1–1.5 m (3–5 ft) tall and wide; space 1.2–1.5 m apart.
- Hardiness
- Hardy, but avoid frost pockets where spring frost can damage flowers.
Field notes
Morphology
A straggling bush to about 1.5 m tall and wide, its branches set with sharp spines, singly or in groups of two or three. Rounded, deeply scalloped leaves have 3 or 5 lobes. Bell-shaped flowers appear singly or in pairs. Berries are usually green but can be red, purple, yellow or white; wild fruits are smaller than cultivated ones.
Distribution & habitat
Europe, the Caucasus and northern Africa, in alpine areas and rocky forests; its exact native range is blurred by escapes from cultivation. Occasionally naturalised in North America.
Cultivation notes
Gooseberry growing was especially popular in 19th-century Britain, where feral bushes in hedgerows and ruins are hard to tell from wild ones. Hot Italian summers are unfavourable to it.
History & etymology
The 'goose' in gooseberry may be a corruption of Dutch kruisbes, German Krausbeere or French groseille, or linked to Middle High German krus, meaning curled.
Habitat
- Altitude
- Not recorded
- Altitude class
- —
Cultivation
- Difficulty
- Not recorded
Text adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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