Native plant a good choice for landscaping in the Lake Tahoe Basin.  

Ribes nevadense is among the native plants and trees of the Lake Tahoe Basin that grow well in our landscapes.

Description: Ribes nevadense is an upright, multi stemmed deciduous shrub that is native to the Sierra Nevada and can be found growing in many locations around Tahoe. This shrub can be a good addition to the landscape and is not considered a fire hazard. It can be thicket forming and with irrigation, can grow a denser canopy in a landscape than in nature. 

The leaves are light green, thin, smooth with three lobes, with soft-toothed margins. The inflorescence is a dense cluster of up to 20 pinkish-red pendulant flowers 6 in (15 cm) long. The fruit is an edible bluish-black berry, somewhat waxy and studded with glandular hairs. Ribes nevadense leafs out in April and blooms from April through July.

Growing Conditions:  Ribes nevadense can grow in full to partial shade, in dry to wet well drained soil.  Ribes nevadense is an incredibly tolerant species to different growing conditions including seasonal flooding. Flowers are fragrant and attractive to bees, butterflies and birds. Small insignificant black berries can develop over the summer and are edible and attractive to wildlife. Pruning late summer can improve structure over time and keep the plant to the size desired. Plants can be pruned into hedges as well.

Care: Not much! Fertilization is not necessary and pests are negligible. Water is optional but will make the plant bushier and increase growth speed. Ribes is a featured shrub in the UC Master Gardeners ‘Top Tahoe Plants’ list due to it’s high moisture content, moderate growth habit, low maintenance and seasonal die back. All of these characteristics help with creating defensible space around your home.

There are about 200 Ribes species, many of which have edible berries. An ornamental cousin of the Ribes nevadense, Ribes sanguineum also grows quite well in Tahoe and offers more colorful flowers. It shares many of the low maintenance features but offers  more colorful and long lasting blooms.

The genus Ribes includes currants (Ribes rubrum, Ribes nigrum), gooseberries (thorny currants), and other berry producing species. Some are native to other parts of the United States, and many of the edible species are sold in nurseries for culinary use.