Common Name:

General Information

Ribes magellanicum is a deciduous shrub, usually growing up to 300cm tall, occasionally reaching 400cm[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and a medicine. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental in gardens[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Southern S. America - central and southern Chile, Tierra Del Fuego.

Habitat

Open scrub, often with Berberis buxifolia, in forest clearings and wood margins from sea level to 300 metres[]. Plants are found on mounain slopes and in interior valleys, sometimes ascending to the timber line[].

Properties

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

Cultivation Details

Ribes magellanicum is a fairly cold-tolerant plant, succeeding in hardiness zone 8 and tolerating temperatures that can occasionally fall as low as -8°c[]. It can tolerate occasional snow cover for up to a couple of weeks per year[]. It is found in regions with more or less all year round rainfall, though can tolerate short dry periods that are generally no longer than 1 month)[].
Species in this genus are generally easy to grow, preferring a position in sun (where they fruit best) or moderate shade and succeeding in most moist but well-drained soils of at least moderate fertility[]. In its native habitat this species is usually found growing in light to moderate shade[].
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 very agreeable flavour[]. The ripe fruits are consumed fresh or made into jams and other preserves[].

Medicinal

Stomachic[].

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[, ].