Hillside Gooseberry (Ribes californicum var. californicum) Login         


        Description
  • Height to 5 ft.
  • EW Bloom Jan - Apr
  • All Gooseberries are spiny. This one has spines on the stem and more spines covering the fruit.
  • Mitten-like leaves grow close to the stem, and partially hide beautiful 5-part hanging flowers.
  • Found along the coast and coastal mountains.
  • CA native. Found only in California.
  • AKA California Gooseberry
  • Currant Family (Grossulariaceae)



A gorgeous hanging flower, with reflexed sepals, white petals, longer stamens and even longer pistils.



Woody stems have 3 spines at each node. Also emerging from each node are leaf, flower and fruit stalks.



Fruits are translucent red spheres surrounded with spines.

   Photo Gallery (33 ) click any picture to enlarge
    

Leaves are mitten shaped, about 1 inch across. They're made up of several [[lobes]] with each lobe showing several rounded teeth. Leaves, flowers ...

Each [[node]] is protected by three 1/2" [[spines]].

What an elegant flower! We start with green and red leaf-like [[bracts]] forming a tiny roof over a spiny red flower stalk which connects to a spiny ...

From below you can see all the flower parts - red and green [[sepals]], surrounding white petals with their margins curling inward, surrounding tan-ti ...

California Gooseberries have an undercoat of spots and lines that show through the translucent surface.