Washington Native Plant Society: Starflower Image Herbarium

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Ribes lacustre

Black Gooseberry

At a Glance: Erect to spreading shrub with spiny stems.

Height: Up to 6.5 feet (2 meters).
Growth Form: Shrub.
Stems: Numerous small golden prickles on stem, larger spines (to 12 mm) at leaf nodes, bark on old stems is cinnamon colored.
Leaves: Alternate, with 5 deeply indented lobes and a heart-shaped base, toothed margins, not glandular or hairy; shape: somewhat maple leaf-like; size: 2-5 cm (.8-2 in) wide; color: dark glossy green.
Flowers: Small, saucer-shaped, reddish to maroon, in drooping clusters of 7-15 flowers. Ovary is glandular-hairy.
Flowering Period: April, May, June, July.
Fruits: Fruits dark purple, bristly with stalked glands; shape: spherical; size: 6-8 mm.


Photo © 2005, Starflower Foundation

Sun/Shade Tolerance	Hydrology	Elevation Range
full sun > 80% mostly sunny 60%-80% partial sun and shade 40%- 60% mostly shady 60%-80% full shade > 80%	wet moist dry Wetland Indicator Status:	low elevation mid elevation sub-alpine high elevation

Soil Preferences
(data not available)

Habitat Preferences
Aquatic and Wetland: Ponds or lakes Shallow pools Sloughs Swales or wet ditches Seasonally inundated areas Marshes or swamps Aquatic bed wetlands Emergent wetlands Scrub-shrub wetlands Forested wetlands Bogs, fens Seeps, springs Shorelines and Riparian: Lake shores Bog margins Streams or rivers Stream or river banks Riparian corridors River bars Floodplains Bottomlands Alluvial areas	Saltwater Areas: In or near saltwater Mud flats Tidal areas Estuaries Saltmarshes Brackish water Seashores Coastal dunes or beaches Rocky or Gravelly Areas: Coastal bluffs Cliffs Rocky slopes Outcrops Crevices Glacial outwash Gullies Slide areas Sub-alpine and Alpine: Heaths Snow beds Tundra Avalanche tracks	Forests and Thickets: Forests and woods Open forests Coniferous forests Old growth forests Deciduous forests Mixed forests Nurse logs Forest edges, openings, or clearings Thickets Meadows and Fields: Pastures or fields Meadows or grassy areas Mossy areas Disturbed Areas: Roadsides Trailsides Logged sites Burned areas Disturbed sites

Wildlife Value
Berries Seeds Nectar for hummingbirds Nectar for butterflies Host for insect larvae Thickets and shelter Thorny or protective cover	Birds: Towhees, waxwings, woodpeckers, and grouse eat the fruit on or off the stem. Mammals: Fruits eaten by wildlife - coyote, foxes, mountain beavers, raccoons, skunks, chipmunks, squirrels, porcupines, deer and elk.

Ethnobotanical Uses and Other Facts

Medicinal Uses: Bark is peeled and boiled into a tea drunk during childbirth, and as a wash for sore eyes by the Skagit. The tea was drunk for general body aches by the Lummi.
Food Uses: Berries eaten by most peoples of the Northwest Coast. Considered poisonous by the Sechelt. Berries eaten fresh when ripe, but too small for storage. Leaves and berries can make tea.
Name Info: Lacustre means of lakes and this plant often grows on lakeshores, moist woods and thickets.
Interesting Facts: Prickles cause allergic reactions in some people.

Suggested References

Cooke, S.S. A Field Guide to the Common Wetland Plants of Western Washington and Northwetern Oregon. Seattle Audubon Society and Washington Native Plant Society. Page 41.
Gunther, E. 1973. 2nd ed. Ethnobotany of Western Washington. University of Washington Press. Page 32.
Hickman, J.C., ed. 1993. The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California. University of California Press. Page 678.
Hitchcock, C.L., A. Cronquist. 1973. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press. Page 200.
Jacobson A.L. 2001. Wild Plants of Greater Seattle. Published by author. Page 100.
Link, R. 1999. Landscaping for Wildlife in the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press. Page 260.
Lyons, C., W. Merilees. Trees and Shrubs to Know in Washington and British Columbia. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 116.
Pojar, J., A. Mackinnon. 1994. Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 85.

The landscaping and restoration information provided on this page is taken from Starflower Foundation Image Herbarium. All photographs © Starflower Foundation unless otherwise noted.