Virginia Tech Dendrology

Wolf's currant Grossulariaceae Ribes wolfii Rothr. symbol: RIWO
Leaf: Alternate, simple, deciduous, round in outline, palmately 3- to 5-lobed, serrate, 1 to 3 inches in diameter; dark green and glabrous above, paler below.
Flower: Perfect, small, yellow-white to pinkish, tubular flowers with 5 petals, borne in compact racemes.
Fruit: Dark blue, 1/2 inch pea-sized berries covered with stalked glands and white waxy bloom; sweet and tasty.
Twig: Young twigs are round, red-green, slightly pubescent, reddish brown with age.
Bark: Reddish brown to grayish brown, thin, splits longitudinally to reveal vertical rows of horizontal lenticels.
Form: A loosely branched, erect shrub reaching 10 feet tall.
Looks like: sticky currant - mountain gooseberry - mapleleaf currant - mountain currant

Additional Range Information: Ribes wolfii 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