It has become the "Holy Grail" of heirloom Ribes hunters. Blogs like The Gooseberry Gazette and forums on the National Fruit Collection at Brogdale frequently discuss "The Anna."
The seeds are on their way to the Millennium Seed Bank at Wakehurst, UK. While seeds that old rarely germinate (gooseberry seeds have a notoriously short viability), there is a non-zero chance. anna ralphs gooseberry
By 1870, the was listed in a Herefordshire nursery catalogue. The description read: "A dessert gooseberry of the highest quality. Skin thin, translucent, of a honey-amber blush. Flesh melting, with a high sugar content and a distinct note of apricot. Unsurpassed for eating raw. Requires a sheltered wall." Why the Gooseberry Disappeared If the Anna Ralphs was so delicious, why don't we have it today? It has become the "Holy Grail" of heirloom Ribes hunters
Anna’s mutant was different. The berry was larger than a cherry, pale golden-pink like a sunset, and crucially, hairless. In her diary (entry dated July 12, 1861), she wrote: By 1870, the was listed in a Herefordshire nursery catalogue