Other common names:
Northern Gooseberry French names:
Groseillier du nord Family: Gooseberry Family (Grossulariaceae), (Saxifrage Family (Saxifragaceae)) Group: Gooseberries Distinctive features: Shrub Similar species: Prickly Gooseberry (Ribes cynosbati) - stems smooth, with 1-2 weak prickles at nodes, berries covered with prickles. Wild Gooseberry (Ribes hirtellum) - stems smooth, with 1-2 spines at leaf nodes, berries lack prickles. Leaves: Alternate, Simple, Toothed; Alternate, simple. Habitat: Forests; Open forests. Edible:
Fruits are edible.
Books: Shrubs of Ontario: 147 Native/Non-native:
Native Status:
Not very common - found mostly around Lake Superior & NW Ontario.
Photographs:
29 photographs available, of which 1 are featured on this page. SCROLL DOWN FOR PHOTOGRAPHS.
I only have one photo of this shrub: of a winter twig.
However, it does show the distinguishing feature of Bristly Wild Gooseberry: sparse weak prickles along the stem, with 1-3 stouter prickles at the nodes where there are buds. This twig is from a shrub in North Bay.
The fruit is edible.