Ribes lacustre
Encyclopedia
The shrub Ribes lacustre is known by the common names prickly currant, swamp gooseberry, and black gooseberry. It is widely distributed, from California
to Alaska
and across North America
to Pennsylvania
and Newfoundland.
The shrub grows erect to spreading, 0.5–2 m. Clusters of reddish to maroon flowers bloom in spring. The fruit
consists of dark purple berries 6–8 mm long.
Outside its native range, Ribes species may be invasive
. For example, in Michigan
, planting of any currant and gooseberry species is prohibited.
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
to Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
and across North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
to Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
and Newfoundland.
The shrub grows erect to spreading, 0.5–2 m. Clusters of reddish to maroon flowers bloom in spring. The fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
consists of dark purple berries 6–8 mm long.
Outside its native range, Ribes species may be invasive
Invasive species
"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....
. For example, in Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, planting of any currant and gooseberry species is prohibited.