Needle-spined gooseberry
Ribes aciculare

Family: Grossulariaceae

What it is like

A shrub. It grows 1 m tall. The stems have sharp bristles. The bark is light grey. The leaves are rounded and have 3-5 lobes. Leaves are up to 3 cm wide. They are shiny above. The flowers do not have stalks and are greenish-white or pink. The fruit are berries 1-1.5 cm wide. The fruit are red, green or yellow.

There are about 150-200 Ribes species. Most are in the northern hemisphere. There are 40 species in tropical America in the high Andes.

Where it is found

It is a cold temperate plant. In Kazakhstan it grows on stony slopes in low mountain belts. In western China it grows between 1,500-2,100 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Central Asia, China, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Siberia

How it is used for food

The fruit are used fresh and also used for jams and juices.

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

In western China plants flower in May and June and fruit in July and August.

Its other names

Local names

Acicular gooseberry

Synonyms

Grossularia acicularis Sm.;