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Smith, R.W.

Ribes missouriense

Ribes missouriense Nutt.

Missouri Gooseberry

Grossulariaceae (Currant Family)

Synonym(s): Grossularia missouriensis, Ribes missouriense var. ozarkanum

USDA Symbol: rimi

USDA Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (I)

A small, upright shrub, 4-6 ft. tall with exfoliating, red-brown bark and many stout spines and bristles. Round lobed leaves change from yellow-orange to red then purple in the fall. Flower is a greenish-white, trumpet-shaped, occurs in groups, and is followed by a small purplish black berry.

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: Red to purple.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White , Pink , Green
Bloom Time: Apr , May , Jun

Distribution

USA: AR , CT , IA , IL , IN , KS , KY , MD , MN , MO , MT , ND , NE , NJ , OH , OK , PA , SD , TN , VA , WI , WV
Native Distribution: NJ to ND, s. to TN & KS
Native Habitat: Open woods; thickets; fence rows; rocky hillsides

Growing Conditions

Light Requirement: Part Shade
Soil pH: Circumneutral (pH 6.8-7.2)
Soil Description: Variable.
Conditions Comments: Gooseberry fruit is edible and used in jams and pies.

Value to Beneficial Insects

Special Value to Native Bees

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

Web Reference

Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

Additional resources

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

Metadata

Record Modified: 2022-10-20
Research By: TWC Staff

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