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Ribes odoratum - H.L.Wendl.

Buffalo Currant

Author	H.L.Wendl.	Botanical references	11, 43, 200
Family	Grossulariaceae	Genus	Ribes
Synonyms	Ribes aureum - non Pursh. Ribes aureum villosum - DC. Ribes fragrans - non Pall.
Known Hazards	None known
Range	Central N. America - Saskatchewan and Minnesota, west to the Rockies and south to Texas.
Habitat	Rocky bluffs and slopes, also along the sides of streams[235].
Edibility Rating	4 (1-5)	Medicinal Rating	1 (1-5)

Physical Characteristics

A decidious Shrub growing to 2.5m by 2.5m.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats

Woodland Garden; Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade;

Cultivars: (as above except)
'Crandall'

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Flowers; Fruit.

Edible Uses: Condiment; Tea.

Fruit - raw or cooked[2, 62, 85, 257]. The quality varies from plant to plant, the best forms are sweet and make very pleasant eating[K]. The fruit ripens from late July and can hang on the bush until early autumn[K]. The fruit can also be dried for winter use[183]. The fruit is about 10mm in diameter, though it is larger in some selected cultivars[200]. Flowers - raw. A sweet taste[85]. The leaves can be used to make a tea or as a flavouring in foods[183].

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

Antidote.

a poultice of the plant has been applied to snakebites[257].

Other Uses

None known

Scented Plants

Flowers: Fresh

The flowers are deliciously clove-scented[245].

Cultivation details

Easily grown in a moisture retentive but well-drained loamy soil of at least moderate quality[11, 200]. Prefers full sun but it is quite tolerant of shade though it does not fruit so well in such a position[11]. Hardy to about -25°c[184]. A very ornamental plant[1]. The flowers are deliciously clove-scented[245]. This species is closely allied to R. aureum[11, 200]. Occasionally cultivated for its edible fruit, there are some named varieties[183]. The period of fruit ripening is unusually long[183]. The cultivar 'Crandall' has large edible fruits with a tart-sweet flavour that are high in pectin[200]. This species succeeds in regions having hot summers[183]. The fruits can be red, black, yellow, golden or reddish-brown[164]. Plants often produce suckers, especially when growing in damp soils. Plants can harbour a stage of white pine blister rust, so should not be grown in the vicinity of pine trees[155]. Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus[200].

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[113, 164]. 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, July/August in a frame[78, 113]. Cuttings of mature wood of the current year's growth, preferably with a heel of the previous year's growth, November to February in a cold frame or sheltered bed outdoors[78, 200]. Division of suckers in the dormant season. They can be planted out direct into their permanent positions.

Cultivars

'Crandall'

The plant has large edible fruits with a tart-sweet flavour that are high in pectin[183, 200]. The fruit is produced in clusters, the skin is smooth, tough and very thick[183]. The fruit ripens late, the period of ripening is unusually long[183]. An upright very vigorous form, often up to 2.4 metres tall[183]. It succeeds in regions having hot summers[183].

Links

This plant is also mentioned in the following PFAF articles: Edible Flowers.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[2] Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[43] Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950
A bit dated but good and concise flora of the eastern part of N. America.

[62] Elias. T. and Dykeman. P. A Field Guide to N. American Edible Wild Plants. Van Nostrand Reinhold 1982 ISBN 0442222009
Very readable.

[78] Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.

[85] Harrington. H. D. Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains. University of New Mexico Press 1967 ISBN 0-8623-0343-9
A superb book. Very readable, it gives the results of the authors experiments with native edible plants.

[113] Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press 1987 ISBN 0942375009
A very detailed book on propagating trees. Not for the casual reader.

[155] Arnberger. L. P. Flowers of the Southwest Mountains. Southwestern Monuments Ass. 1968
A lovely little pocket guide to wild plants in the southern Rockies of America.

[164] Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 4. Thompson and Morgan. 1990
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. A good article on Yuccas, one on Sagebrush (Artemesia spp) and another on Chaerophyllum bulbosum.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[184] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Shrubs. Pan Books 1989 ISBN 0-330-30258-2
Excellent photographs and a terse description of 1900 species and cultivars.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[235] Britton. N. L. Brown. A. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada Dover Publications. New York. 1970 ISBN 0-486-22642-5
Reprint of a 1913 Flora, but still a very useful book.

[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.

[257] Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.

Readers Comments

Plants for a Future does not verify the accuracy of reader comments, use at your own risk. In particular Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. You should always consult a professional before using plants medicinally.

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