Ribes aciculare

Ribes aciculare is a species of flowering plant in the currant/gooseberry family Grossulariacea, generally regarded as closely related to Ribes burejense. It is native to central and northern Asia, and has been reported as native to Altay, Kazakhstan, Krasnoyarsk, Mongolia, Tuva, West Siberia, Xinjiang. Its habitats vary from stony hill and mountain slopes to forest margins and thickets. In Northern China it has been found at altitudes of 1,500-2,100 metres. The plant is very cold hardy, and can tolerate temperatures down to -20°C during dormancy (typically the winter months).

The plant typically forms a deciduous shrub of about 1 metre or somewhat more. The shrub's branchlets are glabrous, with 3-7 spines forming at branchlet nodes. It generally grows in semi-shade (light woodland) or without shade, and can survive in light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, which can be acid, neutral or basic (alkaline). It does best in moist but well-drained soil, and tends to set more fruit if unshaded.