American Blackcurrant
Ribes americanum

Family: Grossulariaceae

What it is like

Ribes americanum is a deciduous Shrub growing to 1.8 m (6ft). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 2. It is in flower from April to June. 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. 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.

Height (m): 1.8

Where it is found

Rich thickets and slopes.

Eastern N. America - Saskatchewan to New Brunswick, south to Maryland and West Virginia.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 2

Fruit - raw or cooked. They are used in jellies, jams, pies and preserves, and can be dried for later use. Comments on the flavour of these blackcurrants vary considerably, with one report saying they are esteemed as an article of diet, another that they have a fair flavour, another that they are watery and insipid and others that they have a distinct musky flavour and are only palatable when cooked. The fruit is up to 10mm in diameter.

Medicine

Rating: 1

A decoction of the roots has been used to treat kidney problems and also to expel worms. It has been used by women to treat uterine problems. The root bark is anthelmintic. The poulticed root bark has been applied to swellings.

Anthelmintic: Expels parasites from the gut.

Antiinflammatory: Reduces inflammation of joints, injuries etc.

Kidney: Used in the treatment of kidney diseases

Vermifuge: Expels and kills internal parasites.

Women's complaints: A very vague title, it deals with a miscellany of problems peculiar to the female sex.

Other

Rating:

Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.

How it is grown

Easily grown in a moisture retentive but well-drained loamy soil of at least moderate quality. Quite tolerant of shade though not fruiting so well in such a position. Hardy to about -20°c. Plants can harbour a stage of 'white pine blister rust', so they should not be grown in the vicinity of pine trees.Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus. For polyculture design as well as the above-ground architecture (form - tree, shrub etc. and size shown above) information on the habit and root pattern is also useful and given here if available. The plant growth habit is multistemmed with multiple stems from the crown. The root pattern is flat with shallow roots forming a plate near the soil surface. The root pattern is suckering with new plants from underground runners away from the plant.

Propagating it: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a cold frame. Stored seed requires 3 months cold stratification at -2 to +2°c and should be sown as early in the year as possible. 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, 10 - 15cm with a heel, July/August in a frame. 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.

Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade;

Habit: Shrub

Hardiness:

Growth:

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: Semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

R. floridum.