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Catalina Currant
Ribes viburnifolium
  
About Catalina Currant (Ribes viburnifolium) 78 Nurseries Carry This Plant The shrub Ribes viburnifolium has several common names, including Catalina Currant. It is found in Southern California in the United States, especially on Santa Catalina Island, and into northern Baja California in Mexico.

It is a rare member of the chaparral plant community, and more common in landscaped drought-tolerant gardens. It grows in only a handful of locations on the mainland U.S. The shrub grows low to the ground, extending long reddish stems horizontally where the tips may root and establish new growth centers.

The leaves are dark green and shiny on their top surfaces, and lighter green or yellowish and leathery on the undersides. Glands on the leaves exude a sticky, citrus-scented sap. Clusters of deep red flowers bloom in late winter and into early spring. The plant yields small red fruits later in the spring that attract birds.
Plant Description
Plant Type
Plant Type
Shrub

Size
Size
2 - 3 ft tall
8 ft wide

Form
Form
Spreading, Weeping

Growth Rate
Growth Rate
Moderate, Fast

Dormancy
Dormancy
Evergreen

Fragrance
Fragrance
Fragrant - Pleasant

Flower Color
Flower Color
Purple, Red, Pink

Flowering Season
Flowering Season
Spring, Winter

Wildlife Supported
 
Hummingbirds and insects are attracted to the flowers. Other birds and small mammals are attracted to the fruits

 

Landscaping Information
Sun
Sun
Part Shade

Moisture
Moisture
Very Low

Summer Irrigation
Summer Irrigation
Max 1x / month once established

Nurseries
Nurseries

Ease of Care
Ease of Care
Very Easy

Cold Tolerance
Cold Tolerance
Tolerates cold to 15° F

Soil Drainage
Soil Drainage
Medium

Soil Description
Soil Description
Tolerates a variety of soils as long as adequate drainage is provided. Soil PH: 5.0 - 7.0

Common uses
Common uses
Bank Stabilization, Groundcovers, Deer Resistant, Bird Gardens, Hummingbird Gardens, Butterfly Gardens, Bee Gardens

Companion Plants
Companion Plants

Maintenance
Maintenance
May be pruned to restrain its sprawling tendencies

Propagation
Propagation?
Propagates readily from tip rooting

Sunset Zones
Sunset Zones?
5, 7, 8, 9, 14*, 15*, 16*, 17*, 19*, 20*, 21*, 22*, 23*, 24

Natural Setting
Site Type
Site Type
Dry shady areas such as under oaks or large chaparral shrubs

Climate
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 10.0" - 17.9", Summer Precipitation: 0.20" - 0.38", Coldest Month: 51.9" - 57.3", Hottest Month: 66.9" - 77.6", Humidity: 1.74" - 23.49", Elevation: -116" - 1868"

Alternative Names
Common Names: Catalina Perfume, Evergreen Currant, Island Gooseberry, Santa Catalina Island Currant


Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links:   Jepson eFlora Taxon Page  CalPhotos  Wikipedia  Calflora


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