Ribes laurifolium Family: Grossulariaceae Vital statistics Height and spread: 1m by 1.5m (3ft by 5ft) Form: Evergreen shrub Soil: Moderately fertile, well drained soil. Aspect: Full sun to partial shade. Hardiness: Hardy throughout the British Isles.

Ribes laurifolium @ Rosemoor

The Ribes laurifolium is sited in the sheltered, north-facing rockwork on the eastern approach to the underpass.

Ribes

The genus Ribes contains around 150 deciduous, occasionally evergreen, and sometimes spiny shrubs, which are widely distributed in woodland, scrub and rocky places. The range extends around most northern temperate regions as well as South America.

There are a number of species that are commonly grown in British gardens for either their fruit or their flower. Blackcurrant (R. nigrum), redcurrant (R. rubrum) and the gooseberry (R. uva-crispa) among others are grown for their fruit, whereas R. sanguineum is almost ubiquitous in suburban gardens, where it is grown for its early, pendulous pink flowers. R. sanguineum is the flowering currant, and was introduced to Britain by David Douglas, one of the great Scottish plant hunters, who was sponsored by the RHS. R. speciosum and R. viburnifolium are also grown for their flowers and ornamental fruit, and are best grown against a wall.

Most Ribes species have distinctively shaped leaves, often with three to five lobes.

Ribes laurifolium

Ribes laurifolium is native to West China, where it grows amongst rocks at an altitude of about 2300m (7500 ft). It is unusual in its genus by having ovate-oblong rather than lobed leaves.  It is dioecious, that is, the individual flowers are either male or female and only one sex is found on any one plant, so both a male and a female plant must be grown together if seed is required.

R. laurifolium is a slow growing, evergreen shrub. It produces soft, sweetly perfumed flowers from February to April, and the seeds ripen from October to December. The cup-shaped, flowers are greenish yellow and hang in pendant racemes. The male flowers are up to 5cm (2in) long, and the female flowers are 2.5cm (1in) long. The female flowers are followed by ovoid red fruit that ripens to black, and are about 1cm (0.5in) long.

Cultivation

Ribes laurifoilum is easy to grow in a moisture retentive but well-drained loamy soil of at least moderate fertility. Plants are quite tolerant of shade though do not fruit so well in such a position.

It is hardy to about -15°C if given shelter from cold drying winds. It can be slow to establish, often taking a year or two to settle down when planted out.

Plants can harbour a stage of white pine blister rust, so they should not be grown in the vicinity of pine trees. Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus.  Aphids, leaf spot powdery mildew and coral spot may be a problem.

Propagation

Seed is best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a cold frame. 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.

Take cuttings of semi-ripe wood, 10 - 15cm long with a heel, in July or August and grow on in a frame.

Take cuttings of mature wood of the current year's growth, preferably with a heel of the previous year's growth, in November to February and grow on in a cold frame or sheltered bed outdoors.