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Common Name of Plant: Pasture Gooseberry or Prickly Gooseberry
Scientific Name of Plant: Ribes cynosbati Linnaeus
Average Height of Plant: 24”-36” tall
Blooming Time: April – June
Ask the Botanist
What are the leaves like?
The leaves are alternate and simple. They are also hairy and have 3 to 5 lobes. They vary in
length from ½ inch to 4 inches. The leaves are more pale underneath than topside.
What type of flowers bloom on this plant? What do the seedpods or seeds look like?
The flowers grow in small clusters and are greenish yellow or greenish white. Many-seeded
berries that are dark reddish-purple, with long prickles, also grow on this plant. The prickles
are, however, easy to eat. The genus name, Ribes, is derived from the Danish word "ribs" for
the red currant; the species name, cynosbati, means dog-berry.
What is unusual about the stem or trunk?
Bark is light brown when young but turning gray to black later. Spines occur along the stem,
but may be absent near the ends of the branches.
How is this plant important to animals? Has it also been used by people?
This plant is spread by birds and pollinated by bees. The berries can be used by people as
jellies and pies because it is very sweet tasting.
What location does this plant prefer?
This plant is found in virtually all habitats, but prefers oak forests, beech-sugar maple forests,
floodplains, and occasionally swamps. It is often found in rocky woods. It can live in light
shade.
Pictures
Whole Plant
Leaf
http://www.uwgb.edu/BIODIVERSITY/herbarium/shrubs/ribcyn01 .
http://www.uwgb.edu/BIODIVERSITY/herbarium/shrubs/ribcyn01 .
htm
Buds
htm
Flowers
www.uwgb.edu
Seeds
Stem or Tree Bark
http://www.uwgb.edu/BIODIVERSITY/herbarium/shrubs/ribcyn01.
htm
http://www.botany.wisc.edu/wisflora/scripts/detail.asp?SpCode=RIB
CYN