Ribes nevadense
Mountain pink currant
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Family: Grossulariaceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Ribes nevadense (Mountain pink currant) is a native California shrub in the Grossulariaceae family, recognized by erect dense pink flower clusters diagnostic.
Mountain pink currant is a California native shrub found in the Klamath Ranges, northern Coast Ranges, Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, Tehachapi Mountains, Transverse Ranges, Peninsular Ranges, and Warner Mountains in forest margins at elevations of 600 to 3,050 meters. Flowering from May to June, this plant produces white petals with pink to red sepals in dense clusters with 8 to 20 flowers. Growing to less than 2 meters tall with no nodal spines, the shrub has an upright to pendulous form. Its leaves are 3 to 8 centimeters long, coarsely to finely toothed, mostly glabrous on the upper surface with sessile glands and occasional hairs on the lower surface. The fruit is a 6 to 8 millimeter blue-black glaucous berry with glandular hairs.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 41 sympatric species; erect dense pink flower clusters diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Forest margins
Elevation: 600-3050 m
California counties: Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Plumas, Kern, Sierra, El Dorado, Riverside, Fresno, Tehama, Tuolumne, Placer, Lassen, Siskiyou, San Diego, Tulare, Shasta, Nevada, Alpine, Mariposa, Calaveras, Ventura, Butte, Mono, Inyo, Modoc, Amador, Humboldt, Mendocino, Lake, Yuba, Glenn, Madera, Trinity, Del Norte
Outside California: southern Oregon, western Nevada
Bloom period
Ribes nevadense blooms May-Jun.
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 nevadense native to California?
Yes. Ribes nevadense is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Ribes nevadense bloom?
Ribes nevadense blooms May-Jun.
Where in California does Ribes nevadense grow?
Ribes nevadense occurs in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Plumas, Kern, Sierra, El Dorado, Riverside, Fresno and other counties, at elevations of 600-3050 m.
What plant family does Ribes nevadense belong to?
Ribes nevadense is in the Grossulariaceae family, genus Ribes.
What habitat does Ribes nevadense grow in?
Ribes nevadense grows in Forest margins.
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.