Common Name: Stink Currant

General Information

Ribes bracteosum is an erect, deciduous shrub that can grow 100 - 400cm tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and a medicine. It is occasionally grown as an ornamental, valued especially for its large, maple-like leaves[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Western N. America - Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, California.

Habitat

Stream banks, moist woods, floodplains, shorelines, thickets, avalanche tracks; at elevations up to 1,700 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Shrub
Height	2.50 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Ribes bracteosum 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[, ]. Requires a sunny position[].
The fruit is produced on long sprigs and is therefore easier to harvest[].
The thin leaves have a sweetish, disagreeable odour[].
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[, , , ]. Not very palatable[]. Bland[]. The fruit can cause stomach upsets if eaten in large quantities[]. The fruit has a mild blackcurrant flavour, though it is not so juicy, has a mealy texture and a slight bitterness[]. It ripens in September and is acceptable in small quantities raw[], it can also be used in pies, preserves etc and makes an excellent jam[, , ]. It can be dried and stored for winter use[, ]. Native North American people considered the fruit to be constipating and so would eat it with oil[]. The black, subglobose fruit is 8 - 10mm in diameter[], it is produced on long racemes, making it much easier to harvest than most currants[].

Medicinal

The fruits can be eaten in quantity as a laxative[].

An infusion of the stems has been given to children as a treatment for colds[].

Other Uses

This species has long sprigs that make fruit harvest easier. It is being used in modern breeding programmes for blackcurrants[].

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 5°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[, ].