Trees and Shrubs

Ribes grossularia L.

Deciduous spiny shrub with bristly shoots and lobed leaves, the greenish flowers born singly or in twos and threes, followed by round to ovate edible green fruits, sometimes bristly. To 1m or so. [RHSD, Hortus].

Ribes odoratum Wendl.f.

A spineless, erect, deciduous shrub with ovate, 3- to 5-lobed leaves, to 8cm long, turning red and purple in autumn, and pendant racemes of tubular, fragrant yellow flowers, to 5cm long, in spring, followed by spherical black fruit, to 1cm across.  To 2m.  [Hilliers’, Hortus].  

Ribes rubrum ‘Bertin’s Seedling no. 31’

‘Bertin Seedling’ is briefly mentioned in Card’s Bush Fruits, listed under Red and White Currants: ‘Appears in the Catalogue of the American Pomological Society for 1869’. [Card – Bush Fruits p.304/1920]. This is the only reference I have found.

Ribes rubrum ‘Bertin’s Seedling no. 9’

‘Bertin Seedling’ is briefly mentioned in Card’s Bush Fruits, listed under Red and White Currants: ‘Appears in the catalogue of the American Pomological Society for 1869’. [Card – Bush Fruits p.304/1920]. This is the only reference I have found. See also Ribes rubrum L.

Ribes rubrum ‘Cherry’

‘Bunches, short, with few berries. Berries, very large, of a deep red colour, and acid flavour, more so than the Red Dutch. It is the largest Red Currant. The bush is of a dwarf habit, with strong, short, and stout stunted-looking shoots; and it has the objectionable practice of sending up a gross shoot from the bottom, which almost invariably breaks off with the wind. The foliage is large, of thick substance, and dark green. The fruit ripens rather early.’ [Hogg – Fruit Manual p.318/1884]. See also Ribes rubrum L.

Ribes rubrum ‘Raby Castle’

‘Bunches, very long, more so than those of Red Dutch. Berries, larger, brighter red, and rather more acid. The bush has a rapid and unusually tall habit of growth. Shoots, reddish brown. Leaves, shining above, dark bluish green, very rugose, and darker than those of any other variety. Flowers tinged with red. This is a valuable currant; the fruit ripens later, and hangs longer than that of any other variety; but it is not an abundant bearer, and on account of its strong, vigorous growth, Mr. Barron recommends it as very suitable for growing as standards or large bushes.’ [Hogg – Fruit Manual p.321/1884].  See also Ribes rubrum L.

Ribes rubrum L.

‘Spiny deciduous shrub with alternate, lobed leaves and racemes of small flowers in spring, followed by small, edible red or white fruits. To. 1.5m. [RHSD, Hortus].

Ribes sativum Syme is often said to be the parent of red and white currants, but others regard R. sativum as a variety of R. rubrum. The RHS Dictionary states: ‘These [R. rubrum and R. sativum] are the two main species that include all the red and white currants, but other species have been used in breeding modern cultivars, including R. petraeum, R. vulgare and R. multiforum. All are native to Europe although R. rubrum and R. petraeum are also found in Asia.’ [RHSD/1999].

Ribes sanguineum Pursh

Fully hardy, upright, spineless, deciduous shrub with rounded, 3- to 5-lobed leaves, to 10cm long, and pendant racemes of tubular, deep pinkish-red flowers in spring, followed by spherical blue-black fruit.  To 2m.  [RHSE, Hortus, Hilliers’].

Ribes sanguineum Pursh var. flore pleno

See Ribes sanguineum Pursh for more detail on the species.  Flore pleno is a double-flowered form.  [RHSD].

Ribes speciosum Pursh

Fully hardy, upright, spiny, deciduous shrub with bristly shoots, red when young, ovate, 3- to 5-lobed leaves, to 4cm long, and small pendant racemes of slender, bell-shaped, dark red flowers in spring, followed by spherical, bristly red fruit.  To 2m.  [RHSE, Hortus, Hilliers’].

Riedlea tiliifolia DC.

Frost tender shrub or small tree with toothed leaves and terminal corymbs of numerous small pink flowers.  To 60cm.  [Don].

Ritchiea arborescens [Macarthur]

I have been unable to identify a plant with the name Richiea arborescens.  The only plant of the genus Ritchiea listed in Paxton’s Dictionary is Ritchiea fragrans R.Br.  Johnston’s Dictionary lists both this plant and Ritchiea polypetala Hook. ex Hook.f., the latter in the 1875 Supplement.

Ritchiea erecta Hook.f.

[Ritchiea polypetala is] ‘An erect, glabrous shrub, with alternate, 3-5-foliolate leaves, petioles slender, terete, three to five inches long.  Leaflets as long as or longer than the petioles, oblong or obovato-lanceolate, acuminate, shortly petiolulate.  Corymbs terminal, erect, two inches long, three- to five-flowered.  Flowers large, four inches across the petals.  Sepals four, ovate-oblong, deep green.  Petals about fourteen, very narrow, strap-shaped, crumpled above the middle, acuminate, pale straw-coloured. Stamens very numerous, spreading, with small anthers.  Ovary on a very long stipes.’  [BM t.5344/1862].  Joseph Hooker goes on the compare this plant to others in the genus: ‘It differs from the original species, R. fragrans (Crataeva fragrans, Bot. Mag. t.556), in the erect habit, short peduncle and pedicels, and numerous petals.  The R. erecta has much smaller flowers and few petals.’

Robinia hispida L.

Fully-hardy upright shrub with bristly shoots, pinnate leaves, composed of up to 13 elliptic leaflets, and pendant racemes of light rose-pink flowers, to 3cm long, in spring and summer, followed by bristly brown seed pods.  To 2.5m.  [RHSE, Hortus, Hilliers’].

Robinia pseudo-acacia L.

Fully-hardy, fast-growing, broadly columnar tree with spiny shoots, pinnate leaves, composed of up to 23 lance-shaped leaflets, and pendant racemes, to 20cm long, of fragrant white flowers, to 2cm long, in summer, followed by smooth brown seedpods.  To 25m.  [RHSE, Hortus, Hilliers’].