Vegetation Around Las Vegas, Desert Gooseberry (Ribes velutinum)

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Desert Gooseberry (Ribes velutinum)
Shrubs Around Las Vegas, Vegetation Around Las Vegas

Desert Gooseberry: an open, lanky shrub

General: Desert Gooseberry (Ribes velutinum) is an open, lanky shrub with stiff spines in the leaf axils that are hidden behind round leaves with scalloped edges. The flowers are white to yellow with five spreading sepals (that look like petals) that surround a tube formed of five petals. From within the petal-tube, the anthers do not extend much past the petals. The fruit can be hairless or can have conspicuous hairs. Fruits green, turning purple when ripe.

Desert Gooseberry is an uncommon component of montane vegetation communities in the Upper Sonoran (Pinyon-Juniper Woodland) and somewhat higher life zones. In these habitats, the more common gooseberry is Wax Current, which has no spines.

Around Las Vegas, look for Desert Gooseberry at middle elevations in our desert mountains in places such as Mt. Charleston, the Sheep Range, and Gold Butte National Monument.

Family: Gooseberry (Grossulariaceae)








Spines stiff, originating in the leaf axils	Spines stiff, originating in the leaf axils
Spines stiff, originating in the leaf axils	Spines stiff, originating in the leaf axils
Spines stiff, originating in the leaf axils	Spines stiff, originating in the leaf axils
Leaves round with scalloped edges, sometimes with hairs	Leaves round with scalloped edges, sometimes with hairs
Leaves round with scalloped edges, sometimes without hairs	Leaves round with scalloped edges, sometimes without hairs
Flower buds	Flower buds
Flower opening	Flower opening

Developing fruits	Developing fruits
Fruit with conspicuous hairs	Fruit with conspicuous hairs
Fruits without conspicuous hairs	Fruits without conspicuous hairs

Tent caterpillars on desert gooseberry. Western Tent Caterpillars typically nest and forage on Desert Almond in the Mojave Desert area, but occasionally they use other shrubs. Farther north, they use a variety of other shrubs and trees.

Note: All distances, elevations, and other facts are approximate. Names generally follow the USDA database.
; Last updated 250625

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