Virginia Tech Dendrology

mapleleaf currant Grossulariaceae Ribes acerifolium Howell symbol: RIAC
Leaf: Alternate, simple, deciduous, palmately lobed (3 to 5 lobes), 1 to 3 inches long, irregularly round toothed; dark green above, paler with a few resin dots beneath.
Flower: Perfect; small, faint purple, tubular flowers, borne in spring, in showy, hanging clusters several inches long.
Fruit: Black with a waxy bloom, round, 1/3 inch berries in a hanging cluster, glandular bristly, ripen in mid-summer.
Twig: Moderately stout, red-gray, maybe finely hairy especially when young, no spines.
Bark: Silvery gray, smooth.
Form: Small to medium upright shrub 2 to 5 feet tall, often forms thickets.
Looks like: stink currant - wax currant - red-flowering currant - sticky currant

Additional Range Information: Ribes acerifolium 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