Common Name: Missouri Gooseberry

General Information

Ribes missouriense is a spiny, deciduous shrub with erect to sprawling stems; it can grow 130 - 200cm tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food. It is sometimes cultivated as a fruit crop.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

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Range

Central N. America - North Dakota to Quebec, south to Oklahoma, Arkansas and Virginia

Habitat

Upland woods, thickets, prairie ravines, pastures; at elevations up to 600 metres[]. Dry to moist open woods, thickets and fence rows[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Deciduous Shrub
Height	1.60 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Ribes missouriense 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[, ]. Plants are quite tolerant of shade though do not fruit so well in such a position[].
Widely cultivated in temperate areas for its edible fruit, there are many named varieties[].
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 rich sub-acid vinous flavour that is very agreeable, the fruit is somewhat too acid to be eaten raw for most tastes but when fully ripe makes delicious tarts[]. The fruit can be dried for later use[]. A gooseberry, but with a smooth skin, the red to purple, globose fruit is around 7 - 12mm in diameter[, ], though some forms can be up to 14mm in diameter[].

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

In the Midwest of the USA, Ribes missouriense often is an indicator of woodlands that have experienced grazing pressure[].

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[, ].