Scientific Name:
Ribes uva-crispa
Pronunciation:
RYE-beez YOU-vuh KRISS-puh
Common Name:
gooseberry
Family Name:
Grossulariaceae
Plant Type:
Shrub - deciduous
Key ID Features:
Leaves alternate, ovate-orbicular, 5-7cm long x 5-8cm wide, (3-)5 lobes, base truncate, spines sporadic, (0-)1(-2) per node, stipules to 2cm long, prickles on some stems. Winter ID: low, spreading habit; prickles and spines found on some stems, buds alternate, ovoid; leaf scars crescent shaped with 3 bundle scars.
Habit:
Arching, Spreading
Form:
Round
Texture:
Medium
Mature Height:
1.3 - 2.0m
Mature Spread:
1.5 - 2.0m
Growth Rate:
Fast
Origin:
Africa - northern, Europe, South Asia / India
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 5: (-29 to -23 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun
Soil/Growing Medium:
Well-drained
Landscape Uses:
Small garden/space, Spring interest, Urban agriculture, Wildlife food
Additional Info:
Google. May hybridize with blackcurrant.
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple, Lobed
Arrangement:
Alternate
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible, Heavily veined, Palmate venation
Surfaces:
Lustrous, Pubescent
Colour in Fall:
Green-yellow
Shapes:
Deltoid, Orbicular, Ovate
Apices:
Obtuse, Rounded
Bases:
Truncate
Margins:
Crenate, Dentate, Pinnately lobed
Inflorescence Type:
Flowers clustered, Floriferous
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
5
Corolla Shape:
Campanulate
Ovary Position:
Inferior
Colour (petals):
Not showy, Green-yellow (pink-green)
Flower Scent:
None
Flower Time at Peak:
Apr, May
Fruit Type:
Berry (true), Edible
Fruit Colour:
Green-yellow, Green, Purple, Red (purple fruit not common)
Fruiting Time:
Jul, Aug
Additional Info:
Showy, Edible, Technically a false berry (inferior ovary); sweet flesh with tart skin; fruit of wild varieties are smaller than shown and usually hairy
Bark or Stem Colour:
Yellow, Brown
Leaf Bud Type:
Ovoid
Leaf Scar Shape:
Crescent shaped
Organ Modifications:
Prickles, Stipule (pointy spines)
Propagation:
Cuttings
Other:
needs regualr pruning for maximum fruit production
Pest Susceptibility:
Rust (Rabbit resistant)
Specific Pests:
Gooseberry sawfly and maggot, White pine blister rust (look for disease resistant cvs.)
