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Ribes menziesii

Ribes menziesii Pursh

Canyon Gooseberry, Chaparral Currant

Grossulariaceae (Currant Family)

Synonym(s):

USDA Symbol: RIME

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

Canyon Gooseberry is an aromatic, prickly, loosely branched, 3-6 ft. shrub with velvety leaves; showy, maroon, purple or white flowers; and purple berries.

From the Image Gallery

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Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Leaf Retention: Deciduous
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Breeding System: Flowers Bisexual
Fruit Type: Berry
Size Notes: Up to about 6 feet tall.
Fruit: Purple.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White , Red , Pink , Yellow , Purple
Bloom Time: Jan , Feb , Mar , Apr , May

Distribution

USA: CA , OR
Native Distribution: CA Coast Ranges & Sierras into s. OR
Native Habitat: Shrubby or wooded canyons or flats

Growing Conditions

Light Requirement: Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Dry
Soil Description: Dry soils.
Conditions Comments: Summer deciduous under heat or drought stress. Mulching will help. Direct watering in summer will cause death by root rot.

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.
Seed Treatment: Natural germination normally occurs in the spring following dispersal. Most members of the genus require at least one, fairly lengthy stratification period to break dormancy.
Commercially Avail: yes

Find Seed or Plants

View propagation protocol from Native Plants Network.

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden - Santa Barbara, CA

Web Reference

Webref 30 - Calflora (2018) Calflora
Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.

Additional resources

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

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-04-05
Research By: TWC Staff

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