Common Name: Black Currant Tree

General Information

Blackcurrant tree is a shrub or small tree with a dense crown, that can grow up to 20 metres tall, but is usually smaller[]. The bole is usually crooked and gnarled, branching from low down, though it can be unbranched for up to 8 metres, and up to 32cm in diameter[].
It is harvested from the wild for local use as food and medicine.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

E. Asia - southern China, Indian subcontinent, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, New Guinea, Australia.

Habitat

A wide range of habitats from savannah, open and dense forests and thickets; fresh-water and mangrove swamps; coastal fringes; roadsides and river banks; on dry to swampy ground; usually in secondary vegetation to 1,250 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Tree
Height	20.00 m
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Grows in the wild on clay, sand, lateritic soil, black peat, limestone; sometimes on ultrabasic soil; over shale and granite bedrock[].
Occurs often in regularly burnt habitats and is said to be fire resistant[].
Dioecious. Both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required[].

Edible Uses

The fully ripe fruit can be eaten raw, cooked or made into jams and jellies[]. The reddish-purple fruits are subacid to somewhat sweet[]. The fruit is about 4.5mm in diameter[].

Young shoots have a sour flavour and are cooked and used as a vegetable[]. They are also used like the tamarind for giving a sour taste to other foods[].

Medicinal

The leaves are used as a poultice to treat headaches, scurf, abdominal swellings and fevers[, ].

The stems are emmenagogue[].

The fruit is purgative[].

Other Uses

The wood is cheap but soft and splits when dried. It is nevertheless used for roof construction[]. Another report says that it is hard and durable, but difficult to work because of the high silica content[].

Propagation

Seed -

Add a Comment:

If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.

Name:

Email(Private):

Message:

Captcha: what is half of 100?