Ribes sanguineum

Spring Interest
Ribes sanguineum ‘Elkington White’
Family: Glossulariaceae

Here’s a useful plant for anyone with a north-facing garden. (And in need of a fertility booster!).

This is a new cultivar of a very old plant.

The Ribes genus includes the edible currants (blackcurrant, redcurrant, whitecurrant), gooseberry, plus several hybrid varieties, and they have all been useful edible and medicinal plants for cultures across the world for hundreds of years.

Native to the coasts of north-west America, Ribes sanguineum was introduced into cultivation in the 19th century by the intrepid Scottish botanist, David Douglas, (who through his remarkable travels of north America also “discovered” many widely grown plants from the slender Californian poppy to the cheerful Lupins and not forgetting the famously tall Douglas Fir).

As with most currants (except black and gooseberry) this Ribes is self-fertile meaning it has both male and female organs on the same plant, and it doesn’t even need pollinators to set fruit (although bees will enjoy them in Spring where there’s not much other food around). Completely independent and resourceful, a certain iron lady would have loved them in her garden. And here’s another bonus, unlike their European and Asian cousin the gooseberry (Ribes uva-crispa), the Ribes sanguineum is not thorny, great when harvesting. Alas, the fruits are not so big, sweet and tasty but… you can’t have everything! (Or perhaps you can, if you have the space…).

What I also really admire in the Ribes genus is their ability to set fruit in semi-shade, whereas most other fruiting plants require full sun. So please take note if you have a north-facing garden! Amazingly, they also tolerate coastal sites. They are well-adapted to northern areas and aren’t bothered by late winter frost. They bounce back every Spring with delightful white flowers.

Beware though, they are not totally self-sufficient; being shallow rooted they require some watering in dry periods – at least while they are setting fruit.

Beauty? Of course! Gorgeous pendulous racemes bearing about 20 small flowers (pink or white) hang daintily below protective hats of light-green deeply crenated 3-lobed leaves. These plants add a touch of lightness, joy and promise to the early Spring garden.

Home truths

Ok, they can get straggly. But what harm does a little mess do in a controlled environment? If nothing else, it adds contrast, which garden design courses love to shout about!

Linked to the above, I have to admit that I am concerned that contemporary garden designers are becoming obsessed with evergreen plants, clean lines and controlled shapes. Where’s the surprise? Where’s the suspense? Surely some liveliness in the garden, particularly at a time when the herbaceous lot are just starting to stir and the evergreens are looking a bit tired from a long winter, is really useful. And if planted behind other herbaceous stunners that take over once the Ribes have finished flowering, then why not give them a chance?

Ribes make excellent hedges, or stand alone plants (as in my London garden amongst other Spring flowering shrubs such as Kerria japonica and Magnolia stellata).

Planting companions: I would snuggle some Pulmonarias (used to treat lung problems and sore throats) up close to it, as their blooms will coincide. My favourite is  ‘Sissinghurst White’ (dies down in winter) but ‘Blue Ensign’ or ‘Rubra’ would combine well too.  Another ‘messy’ edible shrub, also flowering now, would have to be one of the Chaenomeles speciosa species (flowering quince), and for late winter fragrance nothing beats the Viburnum x bodnantense cultivars (whose fruits are also edible). A carpet of spring bulbs would inevitably sing to the same tune.

…………………..

Name: Ribes sanguineum ‘Elkington White’
Other cultivars include ‘Pulborough Scarlet’
Family: Glossulariaceae
Deciduous bush 2m x 1.5m
More info: Flowers April-May Fruits: August-September. Hardy to zone 6.
Work: Little pruning needed. Do cut back flowered growth to strong young shoots lower down.
Use: Edible and medicinal, flowers and fruits in sun or semi-shade, good for wildlife
Food: Taste not especially exciting when eaten raw (although the birds don’t seem to mind), but the fruits will make excellent jams, jellies or sauces for meat. The fruit sweetness content improves with time if stored carefully.
Health benefits: According to wikipedia this genus has long been associated with fertility: Cree Indians used the fruit of Ribes glandulosum as a fertility enhancer to assist women in becoming pregnant. While Blackfoot Indians used blackcurrant root (Ribes hudsonianum) for the treatment of kidney diseases and menstrual and menopausal problems.
Added bonus: Plenty of Vit C.