Ribes californicum var. hesperium

California gooseberry

Family: Grossulariaceae · Type: shrub · Native

California gooseberry is a California native shrub found in western Transverse Ranges, San Gabriel Mountains, and Peninsular Ranges in the Santa Ana Mountains within chaparral and woodland habitats at elevations of 150 to 1,670 meters. Flowering from January to March, this plant produces red-sepaled flowers with delicate white petals. Growing with a spreading, somewhat arching form reaching up to 2 meters tall, it develops multiple woody stems. Its leaves are notably hairy, creating a soft textural appearance with broadly rounded lobes. The shrub produces edible fruits that are characteristic of the gooseberry family, typically covered in fine bristles.

Habitat: Chaparral, woodland

Bloom period: Jan-Mar

Elevation: 150-1670 m

Bioregions: WTR, SnGb, PR (Santa Ana Mtns).

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.