Ribes montigenum, June 17, 2022
Common & scientific name
Mountain gooseberry, Ribes montigenum
Family
Gooseberry, Grossulariaceae
Location
North Fork Lake Creek Trail, 10,800’
Fun, weird, helpful, or little known fact
One of our half-dozen species of gooseberry, producing arguably the tastiest of the group in late summer, Mountain gooseberry’s branches are covered in short prickles along with whorls of thicker, longer spines at the leaf nodes—so pick your berries carefully! It can be distinguished from other gooseberries by its leaves, which are divided almost to the base into three coarsely toothed lobes, and are covered in sticky, glandular hairs. Its berries are bright red and covered in short, tasteless, and totally unharmful hairs. Enjoy the bounty!