Ribes gayanum is treated as a synonym of Ribes trilobum in some publications.

Common Name: Zarzaparilla

General Information

Ribes gayanum is an unarmed, evergreen shrub; it can grow 90 - 150cm tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food. It is grown as an ornamental in gardens[, ].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

S. America - central Chile.

Habitat

Coastal mountains and interior valleys, at times up to the timer line; at elevations from 400 - 1,500 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	1.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Ribes gayanum is not hardy in the colder areas of the temperate zone, able to tolerate temperatures falling at least as low as -5, perhaps to -10°c[, ]. It has succeeded outdoors at Kew Gardens, England (hardiness zone 7 - 8) for many years without injury[]. It grows best in areas with a more or less all year round rainfall that ranges from 400 - 800mm and is concentrated mainly in the winter. It tolerats dry periods that are preferably not longer than 1 month, though it can survive up to 5 months annual drought. It can tolerate occasional snow cover for up to a couple of weeks per year[].
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[].
A very ornamental plant[]. The yellow flowers have a soft sweet, honey-like perfume[, ].
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 tend to be notably susceptible to honey fungus[].
A suckering shrub[].
The flowers appear to be perfect, but the pollen in the female flowers and the ovules in the male flowers are sterile[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked[, ]. A fine taste[]. The fruit is about the size of a pea and is hairy[, ].

Medicinal

The plant has medicinal uses[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a cold frame. Stored seed requires 4 - 5 months cold stratification at between 0 to 9°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[, ].