Virginia Tech Dendrology

spreading gooseberry Grossulariaceae Ribes divaricatum Douglas symbol: RIDI
Leaf: Alternate, simple, deciduous, orbicular, palmately 3 or 5-lobed, serrated; to 2 1/2 inches; dark green and slightly pubescent above, paler and pubescent below; petiole with glandular hairs.
Flower: Species is monoecious; very distinctive with reflexed purple sepals surrounding much smaller white-pink petals and long stamens; appearing in small dangling clusters of 1-5 in early spring.
Fruit: Blue-black when ripe, pea-sized berries; edible and delicious; ripening in mid-summer.
Twig: Red-brown to gray-brown, glabrous or pubescent, usually with one to three red-brown thorns at each node; buds are scaly and red-brown.
Bark: Red-brown to gray-brown, may be covered in small thorns.
Form: An upright to spreading multi-stem shrub with arching canes to 10 feet in height.
Looks like: prickly currant - mountain gooseberry - trailing black currant - snow gooseberry

Additional Range Information: Ribes divaricatum 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