European Gooseberry
Ribes uva-crispa
- Native to:
- Albania, Algeria, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia-Slovakia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iran, Italy, Kriti, Morocco, Netherlands, NW. Balkan Pen., Poland, Romania, Spain, Switzerland, Transcaucasus, Türkiye, Ukraine
Diego Delso (www.wikidata.org)
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Grossulariaceae
- Genus:
- Ribes
- Species:
- Ribes uva-crispa
- USDA Symbol:
- RIUV80
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Shrub
- Height:
- 150 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- apr,may
- Bloom Colors:
- green, white
- Food Forest:
- Contains edible parts
- Landscaping Shrub:
- Yes
Wildlife Benefits
- Bees:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)
- Caterpillars:
- ★★★☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
Alfalfa Looper (Autographa californica), Brown-tail moth (Euproctis chrysorrhoea), Burdock Borer (Papaipema cataphracta), Cecropia moth (Hyalophora cecropia), Currant Clearwing (Synanthedon tipuliformis), Decodes macdunnoughi, Epinotia castaneana, fruit-tree leafroller (Archips argyrospila), Itame ribearia, Olethreutes exoletum, Opostegoides scioterma, Peppered Moth (Biston betularia), Stretchia plusiiformis, Virginia Tiger Moth (Spilosoma virginica), Western tent caterpillar (Malacosoma californica), Zophodia convolutella, Gray Comma (Polygonia progne)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds, small mammals
- Fall Color:
- yellow
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- rich, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- prefers organic matter-rich soils
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Cold/moist stratification required — 90–120 days
- Germination Time:
- 14–42 days
- Notes:
- Seeds require cold stratification. Fresh seed germinates more readily than stored seed.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI