Virginia Tech Dendrology

Appalachian gooseberry Grossulariaceae Ribes rotundifolium Michx. symbol: RIRO2
Leaf: Alternate, simple, deciduous, palmately lobed (3 to 5 lobes), 2 to 4 inches long, large rounded teeth; dark green and resin dotted, paler and more resin dotted below. May need hand lens to see resin dots.
Flower: Perfect; small, pale yellow or white, tubular flowers borne in mid-spring, in showy, hanging clusters several inches long.
Fruit: Black, round, 1/3 inch berries in a hanging cluster, resin dotted, ripen in mid-summer.
Twig: Moderately stout, red-gray, maybe finely hairy especially when young or hairless, ridge (very slight wings) runs downward from leaf scar, may or may not have prickles.
Bark: Silvery gray, reddish tint and finely peeling.
Form: Small to medium shrub up to 5 feet tall.
Looks like: prickly gooseberry - mapleleaf viburnum - wild gooseberry

Additional Range Information: Ribes rotundifolium is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. 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