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Oak gooseberry

Ribes quercetorum

Last reviewed: September 2026

Oak gooseberry (Ribes quercetorum)

Toxicity unknown

Oak gooseberry (Ribes quercetorum) 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 sun

Water

low

Size

24"–60" H × 24"–48" W

Bloom

Jan, Feb, Mar

Native to

CA

Pollinators

bees, hummingbirds

Before you buy

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Spiny, deciduous shrub with small lobed leaves and drooping clusters of pale yellow flowers in late winter, followed by spiny berries. Grows in the understory of oak woodlands, going dormant in the dry season.

Wildlife value

Early flowers provide nectar for bees and hummingbirds before most other plants bloom, and the berries are eaten by birds.

Common questions

How much sun does Oak gooseberry need?
Oak gooseberry grows best in part sun conditions.
When does Oak gooseberry bloom?
Oak gooseberry blooms in January, February, and March.
Where is Oak gooseberry native?
Oak gooseberry (Ribes quercetorum) is native to CA, per vouchered herbarium specimen records and regional native plant society lists.
What pollinators does Oak gooseberry attract?
Oak gooseberry draws bees and hummingbirds.

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.

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