Ribes procumbens

Pall.

Grossulariaceae Edible: Fruit 73 iNaturalist observations

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Summary

A low deciduous shrub reaching 0.2 m tall with a 1 m spread, hardy to UK zone 3. Flowers appear May to June with seeds ripening July to August. The plant is insect-pollinated and tolerates light sandy, medium loamy, and heavy clay soils with good drainage. It grows in semi-shade to full sun and prefers consistently moist soil. Suitable for mildly acidic to mildly alkaline conditions.

Description

A low spreading shrub. The leaves can be 8 cm across. They are rough and kidney shaped with 3-5 lobes. The fruit are brown to red.

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Edible Uses

The fruit can be eaten raw or cooked and has an exceptional flavour that merits cultivation. The purple-brown berries are up to 13mm in diameter.

Medicinal Uses

None known

Distribution

It is a cold temperate plant. It grows in pine forests at low altitudes in northern China.

Where It Grows

Asia, China, Japan, Korea, Manchuria, Mongolia, Russia, Siberia,

Cultivation

Easily grown in a moisture retentive but well-drained loamy soil of at least moderate quality. Plants are quite tolerant of shade though do not fruit so well in such a position. Hardy to about -20°c. A low-growing plant, the branches creep along the ground, forming roots as they grw. This species is closely related to R. fragrans. 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.

Propagation

Seed is best sown as soon as it is ripe in autumn in a cold frame. Stored seed requires 3 months of cold stratification at between 0 and 5°c and should be sown as early in the year as possible. Under normal storage conditions seed can remain viable for 17 years or more. Prick out seedlings into individual pots when large enough to handle and grow on in a cold frame for their first winter, planting out in late spring the following year. Take cuttings of half-ripe wood, 10–15cm with a heel, in July or August in a frame. Cuttings of mature wood of the current year's growth, preferably with a heel of the previous year's growth, can be taken November to February in a cold frame or sheltered bed outdoors. Plants can also be divided during the dormant season — the low branches naturally form roots as they spread and these rooted sections can be separated from the parent plant. Larger divisions can go straight into their permanent positions; smaller ones are best potted up first and planted out during summer.

Other Uses

None known

Notes

There are about 150 Ribes species.

References (4)

Fl. ross. 1(3):35, t. 65. 1789
Flora of China @ efloras.org Volume 8
Hedrick, U.P., 1919, (Ed.), Sturtevant's edible plants of the world. p 564
Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/