Island gooseberry
Ribes viburnifolium
Last reviewed: September 2026
Ribes viburnifolium is a low-growing evergreen shrub suited to part shade or shade gardens with low water use. It produces small maroon flowers from January through March that draw hummingbirds and native bees.
Toxicity unknown
Island gooseberry (Ribes viburnifolium) is not listed by the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (opens in new tab) or the other sources we check, so we have no verdict for it either way. Absence from those lists is not a clearance. If your pet shows symptoms after eating any plant, call the ASPCA at (888) 426-4435.
Light
part shade
Water
low
Size
24"–48" H × 60"–144" W
Bloom
Jan, Feb, Mar
Native to
CA
Pollinators
hummingbirds, native bees
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A spreading evergreen currant with small leathery aromatic leaves on wine-red stems and modest pink-maroon flowers in winter. It is thornless, takes dry shade under oaks, and works as a wide low groundcover.
Growing Island gooseberry
Grow Island gooseberry in part shade and low water. Mature plants reach 24 to 48 inches tall and spread 60 to 144 inches wide.
Wildlife value
Flowers in the depth of winter when almost nothing else does, supporting resident hummingbirds in the lean season.
Common questions
- When does Island gooseberry bloom?
- Island gooseberry typically flowers from January through March, producing small maroon blossoms along its arching stems.
- How much water does Island gooseberry need?
- Once established, it does well with low water and prefers dry conditions during the summer months, similar to coastal scrub environments.
- What light conditions does Island gooseberry prefer?
- It grows best in part shade to full shade and is often planted as an understory shrub or groundcover beneath oaks and other trees.
- Is Island gooseberry evergreen or deciduous?
- It is evergreen, keeping its glossy, aromatic foliage throughout the year.
- What pollinators visit Island gooseberry flowers?
- Hummingbirds and native bees are the main visitors to its small winter and early spring flowers.
These answers were drafted with an AI model from this plant's data. Verify care details with a local expert.
Native range data from vouchered herbarium specimen records and regional native plant society lists. Pollinator and host plant associations compiled from GBIF, iNaturalist, and published ecological literature.
If something looks wrong
Common plant problems, and what to check first
These come up on almost any plant. Each guide lists the likely causes in the order they are worth ruling out, with one thing to check before you act on any of them, and links to the source it came from.
- It is dying right after planting
- Leaves turning yellow
- Wilting even though I watered it
- Brown crispy leaf tips
- Bugs on the plant
Ready to grow Island gooseberry? Add it to your garden in Pollinator Patch to track it and get season-by-season care guidance.
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