Catalina Currant, Ribes viburnifolium

About Catalina Currant (Ribes viburnifolium) 76 Nurseries Carry This Plant

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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

Shrub

Size

2 - 3 ft tall
8 ft wide

Form

Spreading, Weeping

Growth Rate

Moderate, Fast

Dormancy

Evergreen

Fragrance

Fragrant - Pleasant

Flower Color

Purple, Red, Pink

Flowering Season

Spring, Winter

Wildlife Supported

Hummingbirds and insects are attracted to the flowers. Other birds and small mammals are attracted to the fruits
Bird gardens

Butterflies & moths hosted ( 37 likely * ) SHOW ALL

Hoary Comma Polygonia gracilisPolygonia gracilis

Milbert's Tortoiseshell Aglais milbertiAglais milberti

Satyr Comma Polygonia satyrusPolygonia satyrus

Tailed Copper Lycaena arotaLycaena arota

White-lined Sphinx Hyles lineataHyles lineata

Ceanothus Silkmoth Hyalophora euryalusHyalophora euryalus

Polyphemus moth Antheraea polyphemusAntheraea polyphemus

Landscaping Information

Sun

Part Shade

Moisture

Very Low

Summer Irrigation

Max 1x / month once established

Nurseries

Carried by 76

Ease of Care

Very Easy

Cold Tolerance

Tolerates cold to 15° F

Soil Drainage

Medium

Soil Description

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

Common uses

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

Companion Plants

Santa Cruz Island Buckwheat, St. Catherine's Lace, Redflower Buckwheat, Island Cherry, Island Hazardia and Island Bristleweed, Island Ironwood

Maintenance

May be pruned to restrain its sprawling tendencies

Propagation?

Propagates readily from tip rooting

Sunset Zones?

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

Natural Setting

Site Type

Dry shady areas such as under oaks or large chaparral shrubs

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

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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

Catalina Currant

Ribes viburnifolium

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Catalina CurrantRibes viburnifolium

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Catalina Currant

Ribes viburnifolium