Ribes diacanthum aka Siberian Currant

Ribes diacanthum is a deciduous shrub known as Siberian currant. The RHS also calls it two-spined gooseberry. It belongs to the currant family, Grossulariaceae. Its native range spans parts of temperate East Asia. These include Siberia, Mongolia, northern China, and North Korea. It is not native to Britain or Ireland. In the wild, it grows on rocky ground and stony slopes. It also occurs on sandy hills, grasslands, and river banks.

The shrub reaches about 6 feet [1.8 metres] tall. It loses its leaves for winter. The supplied species account gives no details of leaf shape. Flowers open in May, and insects pollinate them. Each plant bears either male or female flowers. Grow both sexes together to obtain fruit and seed. A single plant cannot fertilise itself. Seeds ripen from July through August. The small fruits measure about 0.016 feet [0.005 metres] across.

The fruit is edible, either fresh or cooked. Its flavour blends sweetness with a tart edge. It can serve as a dessert fruit. PFAF gives its food value two points out of five. The source lists no known medicinal uses or other uses. It also reports no known hazards. That does not establish safety for every person or pet.

Grow this shrub in moist soil that drains well. A loam of at least fair quality suits it. It also accepts sandy soils and clay. It tolerates mildly acid, neutral, and mildly alkaline ground. Choose sun or partial shade for cultivation. Plants tolerate shade, but fruit less well there. A sunny woodland edge or dappled shade can suit it. PFAF describes it as easy to grow. It reports cold tolerance to about −20°C. Avoid planting near pines, since it can host white pine blister rust. PFAF does not flag it as a weed risk.

Seed and cuttings offer ways to raise new plants. Sow fresh seed in a cold frame in autumn. Stored seed needs four to five months of cold treatment. Keep this treatment between 0°C and 9°C. Grow young seedlings under cold-frame cover through their first winter. Plant them out in late spring the next year. Take half-ripe cuttings in July or August. Mature wood from the current season also provides cutting material.