Common Name:

General Information

Ribes laurifolium is a much-branched, evergreen shrub, occasionally a small tree, usually growing up to 150cm tall. It is often seen climbing into other plants[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food. It is grown as an ornamental in gardens, the male form being preferred for this purpose[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

E. Asia - southern China (Guizhou, Sichuan, Yunnan)

Habitat

Often found climbing into trees in forests, on slopes, river banks and rocks; at elevations from 2,100 - 3,600 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	1.00 m
Growth Rate	Slow
Pollinators	Insects
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Ribes laurifolium is fairly cold hardy, when dormant it can tolerate temperatures falling to around -15°c if given shelter from cold, drying winds[].
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[].
Plants are of slow to moderate growth[]. They can be slow to establish, often taking a year or two to settle down when planted out[].
The flowers emit a soft sweet perfume[].
Dioecious, male and female plants must be grown if fruit and seed is required[].
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[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked[, ]. A blackcurrant[]. The purple, ellipsoid to oblong fruit can be 15 - 20mm long and 7 - 10mm wide[]. It can be hairy (in subspecies laurifolium) or smooth (subspecies yunnanense)[].

Medicinal

None known

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 between 0 and 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[, ].