Start growing
Prefers cool, moist climates. Needs pruning to keep the center of the bush open for airflow.
GROW SOMETHING WONDERFUL
Gooseberry
Ribes uva-crispa
Your guide to planting, growing, and getting to know this plant.
THE PLANT NOTEBOOK
Gooseberry care, from seed onward.
- Botanical name
- Ribes uva-crispa
- Common names
- English Gooseberry
- Family
- Grossulariaceae
- Genus
- Ribes
- Species
- R. uva-crispa
Growing with your kit
The Seeds In A Cup® clear planter lets kids see the formation of the distinctive 'veins' on the developing gooseberry.
Propagation
By cuttings or seed.
Seasonal growth & harvest
Produces fruit in early to mid-summer; thorns provide protection for nesting birds.
Growing conditions
Cool temperate regions, woodland edges.
Weather & tolerances
Highly cold tolerant; very sensitive to heat and drought.
Pests & plant health
Gooseberry sawfly and American gooseberry mildew.
Plant safety
Safe; watch for sharp thorns.
Botanical features
A spiny deciduous shrub with lobed leaves and large, veined berries (green, yellow, or red).
Varieties
‘Invisible’ (Thornless), ‘Hinnomaki Red’.
Garden & everyday uses
Pies, crumbles, jams, and fool (a traditional dessert)
Native range & distribution
Native to Europe, North Africa, and Southeast Asia.
Conservation
Secure.
Name origins
Possibly from the Middle High German ‘krus’ (curly/crisp), or its use in sauces for goose.
History
Gooseberry clubs were famous in 19th-century England, where growers competed to produce the heaviest single berry.