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Wasowski, Sally and Andy

Ribes viburnifolium

Ribes viburnifolium A. Gray

Evergreen Currant, Catalina Currant, Santa Catalina Currant, Island Gooseberry

Grossulariaceae (Currant Family)

Synonym(s):

USDA Symbol: rivi

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

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

2 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Leaf Retention: Evergreen
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Breeding System: Flowers Bisexual
Fruit Type: Berry
Size Notes: Up to about 3 feet tall.
Leaf: Green

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Red , Pink , Purple
Bloom Time: Feb , Mar , Apr
Bloom Notes: Pink to purplish to brownish red.

Distribution

USA: CA
Native Distribution: Santa Catalina Island and Baja
Native Habitat: Shrubby canyon areas

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 on display at the following locations:

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden - Santa Barbara, CA

Bibliography

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

Search More Titles in Bibliography

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.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

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: 2023-02-24
Research By: TWC Staff

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