Ribes laxiflorum
Trailing black currant
(c) Simone Littledale, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Grossulariaceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 4.3
Ribes laxiflorum (Trailing black currant) is a native California shrub in the Grossulariaceae family, recognized by unique trailing habit diagnostic.
Trailing black currant is a California native shrub found in northern coastal California in forest and tree crown habitats at elevations below 300 meters. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces red flowers that fade to pale green, small and delicate in 6 to 12-flower clusters. Growing with spreading or decumbent stems less than 2.5 meters tall, it spreads across the forest floor with a distinctive branching habit. Its leaves are deeply 5 to 7-lobed, approximately 5 to 10 centimeters wide, dark green on the upper surface and light green underneath with sparse glandular hairs. The fruit is a small black-glaucous berry 4 to 6 millimeters long, covered with glandular bristles.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 6 sympatric species; unique trailing habit diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Forest, tree crowns
Elevation: < 300 m
California counties: Humboldt, Del Norte, Alameda, Butte
Outside California: to Alaska, Idaho, also Siberia
Bloom period
Ribes laxiflorum blooms Mar-May.
Conservation status
CNPS 4.3
How to tell it apart
vs Rubus: Ribes has palmately lobed leaves; blackberry has compound leaves with 3-7 separate leaflets.; vs Rhus: Ribes has palmately lobed simple leaves; sumac has pinnately compound leaves with separate leaflets.; vs Quercus: Ribes has toothed maple-like lobes; oak has smooth-edged rounded lobes and acorns.; vs Acer: Ribes has drooping flower clusters; maple has upright flower clusters and winged paired fruits.; vs Holodiscus: Ribes has broad palmately lobed leaves; ocean spray has pinnately arranged leaflets on compound leaves.
Frequently asked questions
Is Ribes laxiflorum native to California?
Yes. Ribes laxiflorum is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Ribes laxiflorum bloom?
Ribes laxiflorum blooms Mar-May.
Where in California does Ribes laxiflorum grow?
Ribes laxiflorum occurs in Humboldt, Del Norte, Alameda, Butte, at elevations of < 300 m.
What plant family does Ribes laxiflorum belong to?
Ribes laxiflorum is in the Grossulariaceae family, genus Ribes.
Is Ribes laxiflorum rare or endangered?
Ribes laxiflorum carries California Rare Plant Rank 4.3, state rank S3.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.