Description
Poorman is an American gooseberry that turned up as a chance seedling in Utah around 1888 and was introduced in 1896. It has been the standing recommendation for fresh eating among the American types ever since, and its fruit is the largest of that group.
The berries are oval to pear shaped, pale green ripening through pinkish red to almost wine red, with a smooth tough skin and tender, juicy flesh that moves from pleasantly sharp to very sweet and aromatic as it hangs. That hanging is worth planning for: the picking season is long and the last berries are the best ones. The plant is large and very vigorous, upright at first and spreading with age, so set it farther apart than you would other varieties.
Overview
- The largest fruited and best fresh-eating of the American-type gooseberries.
- Large oval berries, pinkish to wine red, juicy, sweet and aromatic.
- Long picking window; the fruit hangs and sweetens.
- Very large and vigorous; fewer thorns than most American types.
Growing Details
Latin Name: Ribes hirtellum ‘Poorman’
Site and Soil: Full sun to part shade; rich, well drained soil, pH 6.0 to 7.0
Hardiness: Hardy to USDA Zone 3
Rootstock: Grown from cuttings
Bearing Age: Light crop the first year; full crops by year 3 or 4
Size at Maturity: Very vigorous, upright becoming spreading, about 4 to 5 ft tall and wide
Ripening Time: Early to mid season for a gooseberry; June into July
Pollination: Self-fertile; a single bush sets a full crop
Pests & Diseases: Good tolerance of powdery mildew, short of immunity; currant worm strips leaves from the inside out
Additional Notes
- Grower’s Insight: Give it a season or two to settle before expecting much, and plant it farther apart than other gooseberries: it finishes large.
- Regional Insight: Gooseberries perform best where summers stay cool to moderate, from the Upper Midwest and New England to the Pacific Northwest and Rocky Mountain states.
- Explore more berries in our collection: Berries
