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Native Plant Database

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Ribes viburnifolium (Evergreen currant)
Wasowski, Sally and Andy

Ribes viburnifolium Gray

Evergreen currant, Catalina currant, Santa Catalina currant, Island gooseberry

Grossulariaceae (Currant Family)

USDA Symbol: RIVI

USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.

A low, spreading evergreen, 2-3 ft. tall and up to 8 ft. wide. The shiny, dark-green leaves are fragrant when bruised. The drooping racemes of flowers are pink to purplish and followed by showy red berries.

 

From the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Leaf Retention: Evergreen
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Breeding System: Flowers Bisexual
Leaf: Green
Fruit:
Size Class: 1-3 ft.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Pink , Purple
Bloom Time: Feb , Mar , Apr

Distribution

USA: CA
Native Distribution: Santa Catalina Island and Baja
Native Habitat: Shrubby canyon areas
USDA Native Status: L48(N)

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Low
Light Requirement: Part Shade
CaCO3 Tolerance: Low
Soil Description: Dry to mesic, well-drained soils.
Conditions Comments: A good ground cover for dry shade. Non-invasive. Does not tolerate extreme heat and drought unless mulched heavily.

Benefit

Use Wildlife: A nectar source for hummingbirds, butterflies and bees.
Conspicuous Flowers: yes

Value to Beneficial Insects

Special Value to Native Bees

This information was provided by the Pollinator Program at The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

Propagation

Description: Propagation by seed in possible.
Seed Collection: Seeds need to be picked or stripped as soon as they are ripe to lessen losses to birds. Maceration and flotation can be used to extract the seeds.
Commercially Avail: yes

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is either on display or available from the following:

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden - Santa Barbara, CA

Bibliography

Bibref 995 - Native Landscaping from El Paso to L.A. (2000) Wasowski, S. and A. Wasowski

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Recommended Species Lists

Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.

View Recommended Species page

Additional resources

USDA: Find Ribes viburnifolium in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Ribes viburnifolium in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Ribes viburnifolium

Metadata

Record Modified: 2009-02-21
Research By: TWC Staff

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