Common Name: Evergreen Currant

General Information

Ribes viburnifolium is an unarmed, evergreen shrub with erect or arched stems; it can grow 50 - 250cm tall[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, and is occasionally grown as an ornamental, being valued for its aromatic evergreen foliage[]..

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

South-western N. America - southern California (Santa Catalina Island), northwestern Baja California.

Habitat

Amongst shrubs and in canyons[]. Chaparral; at elevations from 30 - 600 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	2.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Ribes viburnifolium is not very cold tolerant. It can survive occasional, short-lived temperatures down to about -5°c, but in general will not succeed outdoors in most of the temperate zone. In Britain, it can be grown successfully in the light shade of a woodland garden or against a suuny wall in the milder areas of the country (hardiness zones 7 - 9)[, , ].
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[]. Requires a sunny position when being grown in areas with cool summers[].
The aromatic leaves and shoots smell like turpentine when they are crushed[, ]. The scent has a most refreshing pine-like aroma according to another report[].
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[, ]. Palatable[]. The red, globose fruit is about 5 - 8mm in diameter[, ].

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 2 - 3 months cold stratification at between 1 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[, ].