Virginia Tech Dendrology

mountain currant Grossulariaceae Ribes alpinum L. symbol: RIAL2
Leaf: Alternate, simple, deciduous, orbicular, palmately 3-lobed, serrated; 1 to 2 inches; dark green and pubescent above, paler below.
Flower: Species is dioecious; yellow-green; 2 inch racemes appearing in early spring.
Fruit: Bright red, pea-sized berries; edible but unpalatable; ripening in mid-summer.
Twig: Reddish-brown, glabrous, ridged, with large, somewhat stalked conical green-brown buds.
Bark: Reddish brown to grayish brown, thin, developing papery exfoliation.
Form: A loosely branched multi-stem shrub to 6 feet. Naturally forms a dense hedge.
Looks like: Wolf's currant - prickly currant - spreading gooseberry - trailing black currant

Additional Range Information: Ribes alpinum is planted in the USDA hardiness zones shown above and is not known to widely escape cultivaton. Download the full-size PDF map.
External Links: USDA Plants Database
All material 2021 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information