Ribes spicatum and Ribes sativum are treated as a distinct species in some works, whilst others reduce them to synonymy with Ribes rubrum. They are treated here as distinct[].

Common Name: Nordic Currant

General Information

Ribes spicatum is an unarmaed, deciduous shrub; it usually grows 100 - 200cm tall[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food. It is important as a fruit crop only in N Europe; in Norway not rarely transplanted in house gardens[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Eurasia - Norway to Germany and the UK, east through northern Eurasia to Kazakhstan, eastern Siberia and Mogolia

Habitat

Woods on limestone[]. Thickets on poor dry mountain slopes, bare rocky mountain tops[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Shrub
Height	2.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Ribes spicatum 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[].
Very closely related to Ribes rubrum[, ], this species is involved in the parentage of the cultivated red currants[, ].
Many European red currant cultivars trace back to hybrids of Ribes rubrum × Ribes spicatum[].
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[, , ]. The red, globose fruit is 7 - 9mm in diameter[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

Such traits as cold-resistance and good palatability make this species very popular with breeders of red currants[].

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[, ].