Japanese name: ヤブサンザシ（藪山樝子） Scientific name:Ribes fasciculatum
[Overview]
A deciduous shrub up to 1 m tall, rarely found in mountains and fields.
It branches well from the base; young branches are grayish white and at first densely covered with soft hairs, but later become hairless.
The bark splits lengthwise and peels off, turning brown.
The leaves are alternate, 2–6 cm long and wide, and palmately 3–5-lobed.
Both surfaces of the leaves have soft hairs, and the margin has notched teeth.
The petiole is 2–3.5 cm long and has soft hairs and glandular hairs.
It is dioecious.
Both male and female flowers are borne in bundles in the leaf axils of short shoots; they are yellowish green, and the calyx is more conspicuous.
The fruit is spherical and ripens red.
[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed, by division, or by cuttings.
It prefers sun to partial shade and soil that is well drained and retains moisture well.
For potted plants, water thoroughly when the soil surface dries during the growing period, and during dormancy water only enough that the soil does not dry out completely; for plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient unless summer brings a long spell of sunny weather and the soil becomes dry.
Apply organic fertilizer in winter, and also place fertilizer on the soil in autumn.
Pests and diseases include powdery mildew and scale insects.
