Missouri gooseberry

I've only seen the several shrubs in the Northern Illinois Collection at Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois. It is supposed to be the mo...Read Morest common native Ribes (Gooseberry-Currant) in northern Illinois. Its native range is from eastern OK up thru ND & MN and from west MT into IN, and then some spots KY, WV, OH, and PA. It was one of several Ribes that were eliminated in northern areas of their range, in New England, MN, WI, MI, NY and such, because the several Gooseberry-Currant species carried the White Pine Blister Rust Disease that did not damage these plants much, but was a serious disease on Eastern White Pine. Farther south the disease does not show up because it is not cool long enough in spring. Looks like a nice, native plant for native, naturalistic landscapes. Its berry matures to purple or black and is tart but edible for humans and liked by birds. It is dioecious, which means that it has separate male (staminate) and female (pistillate) plants. It is prolific at ground suckering.

This plant is listed as endangered in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Ohio. It is listed as a noxious weed in Michigan.

It g...Read Morerows in my woods and doesn't seem the least invasive here.