Gooseberry: The Forgotten European Berry
Gooseberries were a Victorian English obsession with hundreds of named varieties. The story of this tart underrated berry and how to grow it.
The European gooseberry (Ribes uva-crispa) is a tart, translucent green-to-purple berry that was a Victorian English obsession โ gooseberry clubs in northern England competed annually for the heaviest fruit, with prize-winning specimens exceeding 50 grams (a half-pound for a single berry).
Origin and history
Native to Europe and northern Asia. Cultivation in English gardens dates to the 1500s; by the 1800s English breeders had developed over 700 named varieties. Gooseberries fell out of favor in 20th-century North America largely due to a federal ban from the 1920s through the 1960s (Ribes species host white pine blister rust, a forestry disease). The ban has been lifted in most states and gooseberries are returning.
Where gooseberries grow today
Germany, Russia, Poland, the UK, and Hungary are the largest commercial producers. India produces large quantities of the Indian gooseberry (amla, Phyllanthus emblica) โ botanically unrelated despite the name.
How to grow gooseberries
USDA Zones 3-8. Low bush 1-1.5m. Prefers cool summers and acidic to neutral soil. Self-fertile. Light annual prune. Birds love the fruit โ netting helps.
Bottom line
An underrated cold-hardy berry. Plant a Hinnonmaki Red or Captivator (thornless) and enjoy decades of pies, jams, and fresh tart fruit.