Common Name: American Blackcurrant

General Information

Ribes americanum is an unarmed, erect to spreading, deciduous shrub producing a cluster of stems 50 - 150cm tall[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and a medicine. It is occasionally cultivated as a fruit crop[]. It is under trial as a fruit crop in Uzbekistan[]. The plant is sometimes grown as an ornamental[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

N. America - Alberta to Quebec and New Brunswick, south to New Mexico, Missouri and Virginia

Habitat

Rich thickets and slopes[]. Swamps, stream banks, wet meadows, fens, moist ravines and canyons, open woods; at elevations from 50 - 1,700 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Deciduous Shrub
Height	1.80 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Ribes americanum is very cold hardy, when dormant it can tolerate temperatures falling to around -20°c[].
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[].
The autumn foliage becomes suffused with brilliant hues of crimson and yellow[].
White pine blister rust, caused by the pathogen Cronartium ribicola, is a fungal disease that is native to Asia but has spread via human activity to many other regions, where it has become more virulent. It has a complex life-cycle that requires both currants (Ribes species) and white pines (Pinus species of the section Strobus) for the disease to spread. Whilst Ribes species can generally live with the disease (it has an annual life-cycle and infects the leaves only) Pinus species can be devastated by it (it becomes perennial and spreads through the tree). Young pines are far more susceptible than mature trees. In America the growing of certain Ribes species is banned in some areas in order to protect plantations of white pine species.
Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked[, , , , ]. A distinctive flavour, they are normally 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 black, ovoid fruit is up to 10mm in diameter[, ].

Medicinal

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[, ].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

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, mid summer in a frame[, ].
Cuttings of mature wood of the current year's growth, preferably with a heel of the previous year's growth, late autumn to late winter in a cold frame or sheltered bed outdoors[, ].