Cliff_C wrote:

: Hello Roger,
: A Worcesterberry, depending on which books you read, is either a hybrid
: berry between a gooseberry and a blackcurrant or is an American
: species.
: I have not grown one, but understand that their fruit is smaller than a
: gooseberry and is good for jam making as it has a high acid content.
: Like gooseberries they can be picked young and tart or allowed to ripen
: to a dull black colour.
: They are grown in the US as they are resistant to American Gooseberry
: mildew which can plague gooseberries.
: Compared to gooseberies they are lower yeilding.
: In terms of care and pruning treat as for gooseberries - so prune new
: lateral growth to 5 leaves, but don't prune leaders. From November ot
: February cut the leaders back by one half and the laterals which were
: reduced to 5 leaves should be pruned down to two buds. As always,
: remove any dead, diseased, dieing or crossing branches. Also, like
: gooseberries, keep and open center to aid good air movement and allow
: light in to aid ripening

I had one given some years ago. It seemed remarkably unproductive,
very difficult to pick 'cos of the thorns, and not very tasty. So I dug it
up. I've got a very thorny Goosegog, but it's as nothing compared with the
spines of the worcesterberry!