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Ribes cereum - wax currant

Scientific Family
Saxifragaceae
Synonyms
Ribes churchii , Ribes inebrians
Other common names
whisky current
Plant type
Shrubs
Riparian
No

Plant Description

Origin
Native
Similar species
Ribes aureum
Spreading to erect shrub, stems lightly hairy, gland-dotted, spines absent.
Multi-stemmed shrub, densely branched, without bristles or thorns; leaves rounded, with 3 to 5 lobes, margins round-toothed, smooth upper surface, downy gray below; flowers tubular, petals pink to whitish, sepals greenish; fruit round, bright red, fleshy.
Height
6 feet
Width
8 feet

Habitat

Habitat description
Found on rocky slopes or cliffs in open forests and shrublands.
Plant Community
Pinyon Juniper Woodlands
Montane Conifer Forest
Low elevation
5000
High elevation
9000

Leaves

Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf shape
Round or oval
Leaf margin
Lobed
Leaf attachment
Alternate
Leaf hairs
Top and bottom of leaves
Spines
No
Leaf Drop
Deciduous
Light green with tiny white glandular dots, sticky, 3 to 5 lobed, glandular-haired to 1 inch wide.

Flowers

Flower color
White to pink
Flower shape
Regular
Tubular
Yes
First bloom month
May
Last bloom month
August
White or pink, tubular and sticky to 3/8 inch long in groups of 1 to 4. Sepals longer than the petals, stamens not exceeding the petals, sepals light green to light pink, sepal tips bent backward.
Flower clusters
Other

Fruit

Fruit color
Yellowish-red, reddish-orange
Fruit type
Berry-like
Yellowish-red, reddish-orange, bright red to dark red, sticky fruits to 1/4 inch in diameter in a hanging cluster.

Bark/Branches

Bark color
Reddish-gray to gray
Bark texture
Rough
Older branches gray, newer branches reddish-gray. Fine peeling on larger stems.