(8 votes, average: 3.38 out of 5)
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Wild Gooseberry
Edible 
Summer
A ripe gooseberry, the skin can be very sharp but the seeds and flesh are quite delicious.
It is difficult to know if Gooseberries found in the wild are wild or feral as they were cultivated alot in the UK in years gone by.
| Hedgerow Type | |
| Common Names | Wild Gooseberry |
| Scientific Name | Ribes uva-crispa |
| Season Start | Jun |
| Season End | Aug |
Please note that each and every hedgerow item you come across may vary in appearance to these photos.
Leaves
Rounded 3 to 5 lobed green leaves.
Flowers
Pale green to cream bell shaped flowers appearing singley or in pairs.
Fruit
The fruit can be green, yellow, red or purple usually with hairs.
Stem
Woody and covered in sharp spines.
Habitat
Hedgerows, mixed woodland.
Possible Confusion
With fruit on the plant it is hard to confuse with anything else.
Taste
The seeds and flesh are sweet and the skin is quite sharp tasting.
Frequency
Fairly common.
Collecting
The berries should be collected carefully due to the sharp spines on the stems.
Other Facts
Can make quite an impenitrable hedge.
The scientific name uva-crispa means curved grape.
2 comments for Wild Gooseberry
Thank you so much for your information. I found a wild gooseberry yesterday. I’d never seen one before and it looked so exotic! Do we just have the one variety of wild growing gooseberry in the UK please? Thank you.
Gooseberries were a popular fruit to grow in the UK in the past so I suspect there are a few different varieties with many hybrids now in the wild.