Wild Gooseberry
(Ribes hirtellum)

Other common names: Low Wild Gooseberry, Smooth Gooseberry

Family: Gooseberry Family (Grossulariaceae), Saxifrage Family (Saxifragaceae)

Group: Gooseberries

Distinctive features: Shrub, ;A smooth-stemmed Gooseberry, with 1-2 spines at leaf nodes, and smooth-skinned fruit (no prickles).

Similar species:
  •   Bristly Wild Gooseberry (Ribes oxyacanthoides spp. oxyacanthoides) - stem covered with numerous soft prickles, with a few stouter prickles at leaf nodes.

  •   Prickly Gooseberry (Ribes cynosbati) - stems smooth, with 1-2 spines at leaf nodes, berries lack prickles.


Flowers: Spring;  Green/Brown;  5 parts (petals)

Leaves: Alternate;  Simple;  Toothed;  Alternate, simple.

Fruit/Seeds: Smooth-skinned.

Habitat: Open forests

Edible: Fruits are edible.

Books: Shrubs of Ontario: 139    Newcomb's Wildflower Guide: 306   

Native/Non-native: Native

Status: Common

For more information visit: Ontario Wildflowers

Photographs: 36 photographs available, of which 7 are featured on this page. SCROLL DOWN FOR PHOTOGRAPHS.

  

Fruits forming. Note they are smooth (no prickles). The berries are edible.

The fruit on the right is riper (darker).

Upper side of the leaf.

Underside of a leaf.

Fresh leaves at the top of a growing shoot.

The smooth stem.
  

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