Ribes montigenum
Western prickly gooseberry
(c) Jared Shorma, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Grossulariaceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Ribes montigenum (Western prickly gooseberry) is a native California shrub in the Grossulariaceae family, recognized by deeply lobed leaves and orange-red bristly fruits diagnostic.
Western prickly gooseberry is a California native shrub found in the Klamath Ranges, northern Coast Ranges, Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, Transverse Ranges, San Jacinto Mountains, Warner Mountains, and northern Desert Mountains in subalpine and alpine habitats at elevations of 800 to 4,000 meters. Flowering from June to July, this plant produces red and pale yellow to white-green flowers in clusters with more than 5 blooms. Growing with spreading or decumbent stems less than 1 meter tall, it features 1 to 5 nodal spines and bristly internodes. Its leaves are glandular-hairy, generally 1.5 to 2.5 centimeters wide and deeply lobed nearly to the base. The fruit is a small 4 to 5 millimeter orange-red berry covered in glandular bristles.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 41 sympatric species; deeply lobed leaves and orange-red bristly fruits diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Many subalpine, alpine habitats
Elevation: 800-4000 m
California counties: Riverside, Los Angeles, Alpine, El Dorado, Fresno, Modoc, Tulare, Ventura, Mono, Inyo, Madera, Nevada, Placer, San Bernardino, Tuolumne, Trinity, Mariposa, Amador, Siskiyou, Shasta, Lassen, Tehama, Sierra, Plumas, Del Norte
Outside California: to British Columbia, Idaho, Nevada, Arizona
Bloom period
Ribes montigenum blooms Jun-Jul.
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 montigenum native to California?
Yes. Ribes montigenum is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Ribes montigenum bloom?
Ribes montigenum blooms Jun-Jul.
Where in California does Ribes montigenum grow?
Ribes montigenum occurs in Riverside, Los Angeles, Alpine, El Dorado, Fresno, Modoc, Tulare, Ventura and other counties, at elevations of 800-4000 m.
What plant family does Ribes montigenum belong to?
Ribes montigenum is in the Grossulariaceae family, genus Ribes.
What habitat does Ribes montigenum grow in?
Ribes montigenum grows in Many subalpine, alpine habitats.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
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.