Japanese name: エゾスグリ（蝦夷酸塊） Scientific name:Ribes latifolium
[Overview]
A deciduous shrub 1–1.5 m tall, found along streams and at forest edges from the mountains to the subalpine zone.
It branches well from the base; young branches are at first densely covered with short white hairs, but later become hairless.
The bark splits lengthwise and peels off.
The leaves are alternate, about 6–12 cm long and wide, and palmately 3–5-lobed.
The underside of the leaves is densely covered with short white soft hairs and appears grayish white, and the leaf margin has double teeth.
The petiole is 4–6 cm long and densely covered with short white soft hairs mixed with long glandular hairs.
Racemes 3–10 cm long arise from the leaf axils of the previous year's branches and bear reddish purple bell-shaped flowers; the calyx is more conspicuous.
The fruit is spherical and ripens red.
[Cultivation]
Propagate by division or by cuttings.
It suits a cool climate and prefers a sunny site with soil that is well drained and retains moisture well.
For potted plants, water thoroughly when the soil surface dries; for plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient unless a long spell of sunny weather makes the soil dry.
Apply organic fertilizer in winter, and also place fertilizer on the soil in autumn.
Pests and diseases include powdery mildew and scale insects.
