Gooseberries and currants, which belong to the plant genus Ribes, have an unusual legal history in the United States. While these hardy shrubs produce edible fruit enjoyed globally, they were once the subject of sweeping federal regulations that made their cultivation nearly impossible for decades. This restriction was not due to any inherent danger from the fruit itself, but rather because of a complex biological relationship they share with one of North America’s most economically valuable timber trees. This biological conflict led to a long-standing prohibition on planting, which has since been largely modified.
White Pine Blister Rust
The conflict between the gooseberry and the timber industry centered on a destructive fungal pathogen named Cronartium ribicola, which causes White Pine Blister Rust. This non-native disease was introduced to North America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and posed a severe threat to five-needle white pines, such as the Eastern White Pine. The fungus is unique because it is “heteroecious,” meaning it requires two different host plants to complete its life cycle.
The fungus alternates between the five-needle pines, which are the primary host where the fungus overwinters and causes long-term damage, and any species within the Ribes genus, which acts as the alternate host. In the spring, the fungus produces orange aeciospores on the infected pine, which are carried by the wind and infect the leaves of a Ribes plant. The Ribes plant then develops a repeating spore stage before producing basidiospores in the late summer or fall.
These basidiospores are the only spore type capable of infecting the white pine needles. The infection travels down the needle into the bark, forming a canker that slowly girdles the branch or trunk, often resulting in mortality over several years. Because the fungus must jump from pine to Ribes and back again to sustain the cycle, eliminating the alternate host—the gooseberry—was seen as the only method to protect the valuable white pine forests.
The Federal Prohibition
To protect the white pine lumber industry, the United States government enacted a federal regulation, often dated to 1912, that banned the cultivation, distribution, and importation of all Ribes species across the country. The rationale was that by eradicating the alternate host, the fungus would be unable to complete its life cycle, thereby halting the spread of the White Pine Blister Rust.
This federal mandate was aimed at protecting an industry that was economically significant to many regions of the country. The law established large control zones around commercial white pine stands where the removal of all Ribes plants was enforced. For decades, the law treated all members of the Ribes genus, including black, red, and white currants and gooseberries, as a public nuisance and a threat to forest health.
The prohibition remained a national mandate for over five decades, fundamentally altering fruit cultivation in the United States. The restrictions proved difficult to enforce uniformly and were often overly broad, banning the plants even in areas where white pine was not a significant commercial crop. This eventually led to a reevaluation of the policy as scientific understanding of the disease improved and as new, rust-resistant varieties of Ribes were developed.
Current State and Local Regulations
The federal government recognized the limitations of the nationwide ban and formally repealed the prohibition in 1966, transferring regulatory authority to state and local jurisdictions. This created a complex patchwork of laws, meaning the legality of growing gooseberries depends entirely on the location. Many states now permit the growing of Ribes, but often with specific restrictions.
A common regulation is the requirement to plant only rust-resistant varieties of gooseberries and currants, which have been bred to resist infection by the Cronartium ribicola fungus. Some states, particularly those with a significant white pine timber industry, maintain restricted zones. In these areas, planting Ribes is prohibited within a specified distance, such as 900 feet, of commercial white pine trees or nurseries.
A few states, including New Hampshire, North Carolina, and West Virginia, still maintain a statewide ban on all Ribes species, while others, like Delaware and Massachusetts, require a permit for cultivation. Before planting any Ribes bush, an individual must check with their state’s Department of Agriculture or local extension office. While the federal ban is gone, the historical biological conflict means that local laws are still specific and must be followed to avoid potential fines or mandated removal.