habitat- open forest and woodlands, chaparral up to 7000 ft range- N CA coastal, Klamath and Cascade montane regions N to Oregon description- shrub up to 4 ft tall with spines at the stem nodes, pendant flowers have white petals and strongly reflexed dull red sepals when mature, stamens protruding, palmately lobed leaves are hairless on lower surfaces, fruits are globular and spiny with the withered hypanthium tube attached below etymology- Ribes; from the Persian or Arabic ribas, acid-tasting, roezlii; Benedict Roezl, 19th Century Czech botanist who documented flora of the Sierra Nevada applications- Gooseberry is an imporant forage food for birds and animals. Native Americans ate the berries raw. note- Ribes roezlii as well as most Ribes species are alternate host plants for White Pine Blister Rust. Local populations have consequently suffured from unsuccessful eradication programs in an attempt to protect stands of timber.

CAUTION: The spiny berries require care in handling when squeezing out the pulp. Consult an expert before ingesting this or any other wild plant.