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Ribes lacustre

Prickly Currant · Black Gooseberry · Black Swamp Gooseberry

Family GrossulariaceaeGenus Ribes

A spreading thicket of thin arching stems with small lobed leaves, growing over gray boulders and fallen logs on a slope.
The whole plantWalter Siegmund (talk)CC BY-SA 3.0

About the plant

What it is and where it grows — not part of any germination protocol.

The plant

Habit
shrubPlants of the World Online
Habit
Perennial, ShrubPLANTS Database
Height
3.0 ft90 cmPLANTS Database
Flower
PurplePLANTS Database
Blooms
Early SpringPLANTS Database
Native range
Alaska, Canada, lower 48 statesPLANTS Database

Growing conditions

Sun
Shade tolerance: LowPLANTS Database
Soil pH
5.0-7.8PLANTS Database
Watering
Drought tolerance: LowPLANTS Database

Toxicity is noted only where a source states it. No note here is not a finding of safety.

Sources: Plants of the World Online — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; PLANTS Database — USDA NRCS.

Worth knowing

  • Most indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast ate prickly currant berries fresh, though the Sechelt thought them poisonous. Like devil's club, its spines were believed by some groups to protect against snakes and evil influences. Wikipedia: Ribes lacustre

This source reports 4 treatments. All are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1996

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

  1. Sow outdoors and leave it

    Up in March and April.

No stated waiting before sowing.

53% germination.

This source doesn't state how long step 1 lasts.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Ribes p. 71Public domain
Show the original text
Ribes (Saxifragaceae). R. lacustre germ. best in OT(53% in March and April from seeds started 13 m earlier) similar to other Ribes. Seeds also germ. 70 GA-3(9% in 4-7 w), 40-70D(5% in 3-5 w), and none in 70D and 70L
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Ribes p. 71. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 2

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1996

Difficulty Very high Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around February 15, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Gibberellic acid soak

  2. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C

No stated waiting before sowing. Then 49 days to germinate.

9% germination in 28–49 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Ribes p. 71Public domain
Show the original text
Ribes (Saxifragaceae). R. lacustre germ. best in OT(53% in March and April from seeds started 13 m earlier) similar to other Ribes. Seeds also germ. 70 GA-3(9% in 4-7 w), 40-70D(5% in 3-5 w), and none in 70D and 70L
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Ribes p. 71. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 3

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1996

Difficulty Very high Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around December 1, 2026 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

  2. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

about 3 months from start to step 2. Germination happens during step 2, in 35 days.

5% germination in 21–35 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Ribes p. 71Public domain
Show the original text
Ribes (Saxifragaceae). R. lacustre germ. best in OT(53% in March and April from seeds started 13 m earlier) similar to other Ribes. Seeds also germ. 70 GA-3(9% in 4-7 w), 40-70D(5% in 3-5 w), and none in 70D and 70L
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Ribes p. 71. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 4

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1996

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

No stated waiting before sowing.

0% germination.

Nothing germinated at 70.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Ribes p. 71Public domain
Show the original text
Ribes (Saxifragaceae). R. lacustre germ. best in OT(53% in March and April from seeds started 13 m earlier) similar to other Ribes. Seeds also germ. 70 GA-3(9% in 4-7 w), 40-70D(5% in 3-5 w), and none in 70D and 70L
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Ribes p. 71. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record; the step names come from a fixed list.

How each step is done, in Deno’s words, and what Verified and Derived mean.

Germination trials

Readers’ own records of sowing this species, published after review. Share your trial · All trials

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