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Grossulariaceae FAMILY

Ribes × nidigrolaria

Ribes × nidigrolaria

Edibility
4/5
Medicinal
0/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitDeciduous Shrub
Growth—

Jostaberry is a very hardy plant, able to tolerate temperatures falling to -20°c[1]. Easily grown in a moisture retentive but well-drained loamy soil of at least moderate quality[2, 1]. Best grown on a deep sandy loam[3]. Dislikes very heavy clay, chalky soils and thin dry soils, but it can succeed on most soil types if plenty of organic matter is incorporated[3]. Quite tolerant of shade though not fruiting so well in such a position[2]. Jostaberry is a complex hybrid species, produced by crossing the blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum) with the gooseberry (Ribes uva-crispa) and the American gooseberry (Ribes divaricatum). It is increasingly being cultivated as a fruit crop[4]. Hybrids between the blackcurrant and the gooseberries have often been produced, but most stocks were wholly or mainly infertile. However, polyploidisation by using colchicine has been successful in overcoming sterility in some cases and a number of successful cultivars have been produced since the 1970's[4]. Very vigorous plants, they can produce prolific crops of fruit. They are being grown increasingly in gardens. In general they resist American gooseberry mildew, blackcurrant leaf spot and gall mite. White pine blister rust, caused by the pathogen Cronartium ribicola, is a fungal disease that is native to Asia but has spread via human activity to many other regions, where it has become more virulent. It has a complex life-cycle that requires both currants (Ribes species) and white pines (Pinus species of the section Strobus) for the disease to spread. Whilst Ribes species can generally live with the disease (it has an annual life-cycle and infects the leaves only) Pinus species can be devastated by it (it becomes perennial and spreads through the tree). Young pines are far more susceptible than mature trees. In America the growing of certain Ribes species is banned in some areas in order to protect plantations of white pine species. Plants in this genus tend to be notably susceptible to honey fungus[1].

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[5, 6]. 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. This plant is a cultivar and will not breed true from seed. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 10 - 15cm with a heel, mid summer in a frame[7, 5]. Cuttings of mature wood of the current year's growth, preferably with a heel of the previous year's growth, late autumn to late winter in a cold frame or sheltered bed outdoors[7, 1]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Ribes+%C3%97%C2%A0nidigrolaria>

Pollinators

Insects

References

  1. [1]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · 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.
  2. [2]Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. — Bean. W. · Murray · 1981 · ISBN - ↩︎A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
  3. [3]RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 — F. Chittendon. · Oxford University Press · 1951 · ISBN - ↩︎Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [ 200 ]).
  4. [4]Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants — http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336 ↩︎Terse details of a huge range of useful plants.
  5. [5]The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. — Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. · Athens Ga. Varsity Press · 1987 · ISBN 0942375009 ↩︎A very detailed book on propagating trees. Not for the casual reader.
  6. [6]Growing from Seed. Volume 4. — Bird. R. (Editor) · Thompson and Morgan. · 1990 · ISBN - ↩︎Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. A good article on Yuccas, one on Sagebrush (Artemesia spp) and another on Chaerophyllum bulbosum.
  7. [7]Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. — Sheat. W. G. · MacMillan and Co · 1948 · ISBN - ↩︎A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.
  8. [8]Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. — Facciola. S. · 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.
  9. [PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎