Currants and Gooseberries Native to California
Currants and gooseberries (Ribes
spp.), are
some of the neatest California native plants. They have great flowers,
tasty fruit, fragrant foliage, good fall color, and much more. Currants
and gooseberries are loved by many birds including the California
Thrasher the Hermit
Thrush, and the American
Robin. Currant and gooseberry
flowers are very popular with
hummingbirds. They do well under oaks and once established, don't need
water. Overall they are great in gardens.
Ribes amarum, Bitter Gooseberry Description/Order
Bitter Gooseberry has red and white flowers and shiny dark green leaves. It makes 3 to 6ft tall open erect shrub. It likes full shade and moist areas. It is found in Chaparral, Central Oak Woodland, and Yellow Pine Forest along the coast ranges from Monterey county south and along the base of the Sierra Nevada range from Eldorado county south to San Diego County.
Ribes
aureum
aureum, Golden Currant Description/Order
Golden Currant is an erect shrub that grows from 3 to 6 ft tall. It has very dark colored berries, shiny green leaves, and yellow flowers that turn orange with age. It grows in Sagebrush Scrub, Lodgepole Forest, Valley Grassland, and Riparian in Fresno and Inyo counties along the sierra Nevada range to Modoc county and Siskiyou counties.
Ribes aureum gracillimum, Golden Currant Description/Order
This Golden currant forms a small thicket about 6 ft wide and 3-6ft tall. It has very straight branches an lots of yellow flowers and small shiny green leaves. The yellow flowers are popular with hummingbirds. It has yellow berries that turn black as they ripen. They are quite tasty, but you have to pick a lot of them. The berries are also a favorite of the California Thrasher as well as many other berry eating birds. It makes a neat, clean bush without any sticky leaves or spines, They grow in Southern Oak Woodland along the coast ranges from Alameda to Riverside county.
Black Currant Tarts, tarts made with Golden currants
Ribes
californicum, Hillside
Gooseberry Description/Order
Hillside Gooseberry forms a large shrub, 8ft tall and 6ft wide. It has lots of delicate red and white flowers that hummingbirds like. Many other California birds use it for cover. It is found in Chaparral, Central Oak Woodland, Coastal Sage Scrub, Mixed-evergreen Forest, and Redwood Forest plant communities along the coast ranges from Mendocino to Monterey County.
Ribes
divaricatum Description/Order
Ribes divaricatum grows 3 to 9 ft tall. It is really spiny. Flowers are not very showy but there are a lot of them. It likes shady areas and riparian corridors. It is found in central oak woodland, mixed evergreen forest, and Redwood forest along the coast ranges from Santa Barbra county to Humboldt and Shasta counties.
Ribes indecorum, White-flowered currant Description/Order
This
is probably the most drought tolerant Ribes in California. (Except
maybe R. aurium)
It grows in the chaparral and Coastal sage
scrub throughout southern and central California. It grows around our
San Luis Obispo Nursery site. This is a very harsh environment in the
summer, very dry and very hot 115 degrees F. It survives it by going
summer
deciduous.
It
comes out of dormancy
after the first rain and has flowers by Febuary.
White-flowered currant has reddish-brown bark that contrasts with its clean white flowers.
The berries start out red and turn nearly black by the time they ripen. They are enjoyed by many birds. In a sunny area it may grow about 6 ft tall and 4 ft wide, making excellent cover for the birds. In the shade it forms a more open bush. It does great without water, under oaks!
Ribes malvaceum, Chaparral currant Description/Order
Of
the pink currants, this is probably the most
drought tolerant. It has lots of pink flower clusters that are very
popular with the hummingbirds. It leaves are very fragrant and it
doesn't have any bristles! It does well in sun but is at home under
oaks. It is native in Chaparral, Central oak woodland, and closed cone
coniferous forest in the coast ranges.
Ribes menziesii, Canyon Gooseberry Description/Order
Canyon gooseberry is a drought tolerant shrub with red and white flowers. Older branches have few thorns. However, it shouldn't be planted near walk ways. (There is one in our demonstration garden that likes to catch passerbys.) It has shiny green foliage and erect branches.
Ribes
nevadense, Pink Sierra Currant Description/Order
Pink sierra currant is similar to R. sang. glut. but it grows at higher elevations. It has large pink flower clusters and no thorns. The leaves are large, soft, and fragrant. It can tolerate being over watered as ell as drought conditions.
Ribes
quercetorum, Yellow Gooseberry Description/Order
Yellow
gooseberry is nearly always associated with
deciduous oaks in the wild, usually right along the drip line of the
oak. In our garden it is growing under a box elder so their oak
affiliation is not set in stone. It does seem to be happiest there
however. Yellow gooseberry makes a tight little shrub a few feet tall
with weeping branches and yellow flowers. It has black berries. It is
very drought tolerant.
Ribes roezlii, Sierra Gooseberry Description/Order
Sierra gooseberry has flowers that are more burgundy colored than red. The bark is brownish. It grows about 3 feet tall.
Ribes
sanguineum glutinosum,
Pink-Flowered Currant Description/Order
This is a very classy looking shrub. It has many large pendulant pink flower clusters and large fragrant leaves. It is very drought tolerant and does well under oaks. Hummingbirds love it and it smells great.
Ribes
sericeum, Santa Lucia Gooseberry Description/Order
This guy is really prickly but it also as beautiful flowers. It grows great along the coast in shade or full sun. it likes water. The fruits. Santa Lucia gooseberry has spiny purple fruits
Ribes
speciosum, Fuchsia-Flowering
Gooseberry Description/Order
Fuchsia-flowering gooseberries is favored by hummingbirds over other Ribes flowers. Its nectar has a higher sugar content. The flowers are very long and bright red. The leaves are deep green in color and shiny. It grows in part shade at our Santa Margarita nursery garden. Which means it will do fine in milder climates in full or part shade. I have also seen it in full shade. It is very drought tolerant, going summer deciduous.
Ribes
viburnifolium, Evergreen Currant Description/Order
An evergreen currant? Yep. It doesn't look much like any other currant in California. It has shiny dark green leathery leaves, red bark, and small purplish flowers. It does well under oaks.
Ribes viscosissium hallii, Sticky Currant Description/Order
Sticky currant has large pinkish flower clusters and large fragrant leaves. It is native to northern California.
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