Whitestem Gooseberry

Ribes inerme

Native to:
Canada, United States

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Taxonomy

Division:
Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
Family:
Grossulariaceae
Genus:
Ribes
Species:
Ribes inerme
USDA Symbol:
RIIN2

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:
Perennial
Growth Habit:
Shrub
Height:
150 cm
Light Requirements:
Full Sun
Drought Tolerance:
Medium
Bloom Months:
apr,may,jun
Bloom Colors:
white, greenish-white, pink
Landscaping Shrub:
Yes

Wildlife Benefits

Caterpillars:
★☆☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)

Host Plant for Caterpillars

Gray Comma (Polygonia progne), Green Comma (Polygonia faunus), Pale Swallowtail (Papilio eurymedon), Zephyr anglewing (Polygonia zephyrus)

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:
birds, small mammals
Fall Color:
yellow
Fire Ecology:
Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
Fire Notes:
Resprouts from root crown following fire. Commonly found in post-fire successional communities.

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:
rich, well-drained loamy soil
pH:
5.5 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
Drainage:
excellent drainage required
Moisture:
dry to moderate
Notes:
prefers open, sunny locations in native range

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:
Cold/moist stratification required — 90–120 days
Germination Time:
14–60 days
Notes:
Seeds require cold stratification. Germination can be erratic and may benefit from light exposure.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI

Pre-treatment: Endovalley (98-056c) treated with rootinghor

Establishment: The protocol does not provide information on germination rate, time range for germination, or temperature. The source of propagation is not explicitly mentioned as seed or cutting.

Source: npn.rngr.net