Ribes malvaceum
Common name:
Chaparral Currant
Pronunciation:
ri-BEEZ mal-VAY-see-um
Family:
Grossulariaceae
Genus:
Type:
Broadleaf
Native to (or naturalized in) Oregon:
No
- Broadleaf deciduous (usually), multi-stemmed shrub, to about 5 ft (1.5 m) tall and wide, stems lack nodal spines. Leaves simple, alternate, thin, 3 lobed, blade about 20-50 mm, margin double toothed, dull green, densely hairy and glandular, generally found clustered on short, lateral branchlets. Flowers small, pink to purple, 10-25 per pendant cluster. Fruit about 6 mm, red to purple.
- Sun, drought resistant, a tough shrub
- Hardy to USDA Zone 5 Native to California, the Sierra Nevada foothills and the slopes of the Coast Range, and south into northern Baja, California (Mexico). In mild climates it blooms in winter, with numerous clusters of fragrant pink flowers from late October to March; attracts hummingbirds.
- Two varieties of R. malvaceum are recognized: R. m. var. malvaceum and R. m. var. viridifolium.
- malvaceum: mallow-like, reference to the leaves.
Click image to enlarge
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plant habit, flowering
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flower clusters and leaves
