Description
Ribes divaricatum is a thorny native from coastal BC to California. Small flowers are borne in drooping clusters of two to four with white petals, purple sepals and protruding stamens followed by dark, pea-sized, purple-black berries in clusters in summer. The fruit is sweet and juicy though a bit acidic. Thorny canes tend to be erect to arching and can reach 4-9 feet tall. First Nations used the berries as a food source and the bark and roots for medicinal purposes. A great shrub for the wild or native garden. Attracts hummingbirds, bees, butterflies, and foraging birds. It is a larval host for up to 85 different species of native butterflies and moths. Deer resistant. Photo credit Wikipedia
