Virginia Tech Dendrology

wild gooseberry Grossulariaceae Ribes hirtellum Michx. symbol: RIHI
Leaf: Alternate, simple, deciduous, palmately lobed (3 to 5 lobes), round in outline, 1 to 1 1/2 inch, serrated; dark green above and below but not glandular or hairy; petioles bearing soft hairs.
Flower: Species is monoecious; small and cup-shaped; petals small and green-white; occur in clusters of 1 to 3 flowers.
Fruit: Dark purple, 1/3 inch round berries; lacking hairs or glands; maturing in late summer; with a pleasant and mildly acidic flavor.
Twig: Young twigs may be armed at nodes with single or 2-parted spines; prickles often occur between the nodes.
Bark: Gray-brown to reddish-brown.
Form: Spiny, spindly deciduous shrub 3-4’ tall; may grow alone or in thickets.
Looks like: Appalachian gooseberry - prickly gooseberry

Additional Range Information: Ribes hirtellum 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