mountain pink currant

Ribes nevadense

Unlike many of its close relatives in the gooseberry family, the mountain pink currant is entirely free of sharp spines or prickles along its stems.

Scientific name: Ribes nevadense
Taxonomy: Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Saxifragales › Grossulariaceae › Ribes
IUCN Red List status: Least Concern
Population trend: stable
Biome: forest
Habitat: Montane coniferous forests, moist mountain meadows, and stream banks at elevations of 1,000 to 3,000 meters.
Diet: Autotrophic (photosynthesis, drawing water and minerals from mountain soils).
Range: Sierra Nevada, Cascade Range, Transverse Ranges of California, Western Nevada, Southern Oregon
Size: Deciduous shrub growing 1 to 2 meters (3 to 6 feet) tall.
Lifespan: 15 to 30 years
Active: diurnal
Threats: Climate change reducing winter snowpack, extreme wildfires, and habitat fragmentation.
Safe to approach?: Harmless. Safe to approach and touch. The berries are edible but tart; ensure proper identification before consuming any wild plants. Do not break branches or disturb the surrounding soil.

Ribes nevadense (sometimes spelled R. nevadaense ) is a species of currant known by the common names Sierra currant and mountain pink currant .

Photo: ekrimmel, CC0, via iNaturalist