gooseberry

A bushy, woody plant with thorny stems and deeply lobed green leaves. Small insignificant yellow-green flowers are produced in spring followed by oval fruit which ripen in mid-summer and can be green, yellow, pink or red when mature. The species has many named cultivars - some are ideal for preserving or pies and jams, whilst others are sweeter and can be eaten straight from the bush. Some cultivars show good resistance to disease.