Fuchsia-flowered gooseberry

Sun

Full sun to partial shade; afternoon shade is helpful in hot inland gardens.

Water

Low once established in suitable climates; water regularly during establishment, then sparingly in summer.

Soil

Well-drained sandy, loamy or stony soil; tolerates clay only where drainage is good. Avoid waterlogged ground.

Height

6-10 ft (1.8-3 m)

Spread

6-10 ft (1.8-3 m)

Flowers

Late winter to spring; pendant scarlet-red flowers with long red stamens.

Foliage

Small, glossy, dark-green leaves with three to five rounded lobes; evergreen to semi-evergreen, but sometimes summer-deciduous in dry conditions.

Growth

Moderate

Care needed

Low

• Pollinators
• Drought tolerant
• Heat tolerant
• Wildlife
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Moderate

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1.6 ft (0.5 m)

2. After 1 year

   2.9 ft (0.88 m)

3. After 2 years

   4 ft (1.3 m)

4. After 3 years

   5 ft (1.6 m)

5. After 5 years

   8 ft (2.4 m)

   full size

About 5 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Native to

the US

Growth rate

Moderate

• Plant in a sheltered position with freely draining soil; in colder districts, use a sunny wall for protection.
• Water deeply during the first growing season, letting the surface soil dry between waterings.
• Once established, avoid frequent summer irrigation, especially in heavy soil.
• Apply a light mulch, keeping it clear of the stems; routine feeding is usually unnecessary.
• Keep the thorny branches away from narrow paths, play areas and places where pets brush past.

Pruning. Prune just after flowering, removing dead, damaged or crossing branches and shortening wayward shoots to a healthy side branch. Remove an occasional old stem at ground level if the shrub becomes crowded, and wear thick gloves.

Autumn

Plant in mild climates while the soil is still warm and seasonal rain is returning.

Winter

Check drainage and protect young plants from severe frost or drying winds.

Spring

In colder districts, plant after severe frost has passed and water new plants thoroughly.

Late spring

After flowering finishes, remove damaged wood and lightly shape the shrub.

Summer

Reduce watering on established plants; some leaf loss during dry weather is normal.

Late summer

Take semi-ripe cuttings from healthy, non-flowering shoots.

• Train loosely against a sheltered wall to display the dangling flowers and arching stems.
• Use in a California-native shrub border with ceanothus, manzanita and sages.
• Plant on a well-drained bank for a thorny, informal barrier away from foot traffic.
• Place at a woodland edge where bright flowers stand out against evergreen foliage.

Garden styles it suits: California native, Mediterranean, Wildlife garden, Woodland, Coastal and Desert / xeriscape.

Plant it with: California lilac, Manzanita, Coffeeberry, Cleveland sage, Western sword fern and Douglas iris.

Wildlife: The tubular flowers attract hummingbirds in its native range and provide nectar for visiting insects. Dense, thorny branches offer shelter for small birds.

• Root rot in wet soil: improve drainage before planting and avoid frequent irrigation, particularly during summer.
• Aphids on soft shoots: wash off small colonies with water and encourage ladybirds and other predators.
• Powdery mildew: provide air circulation, avoid excessive nitrogen feeding and remove badly affected growth.
• Cold damage to exposed shoots: choose a sheltered site and prune damaged stems once new growth shows which wood is alive.

Not known to be toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses, although species-specific safety information is limited. It is grown as an ornamental rather than a food crop; avoid eating unidentified berries. The sharp spines can cause puncture wounds.

• Red-flowering currant (Ribes sanguineum)

  Has upright clusters of pink, red or white flowers, lacks the stout gooseberry spines and does not have long, fuchsia-like flowers.

• Spreading gooseberry (Ribes divaricatum)

  Also has spiny stems, but its flowers are smaller and greenish-purple rather than long, bright scarlet tubes.

• Hardy fuchsia (Fuchsia magellanica)

  Usually has red sepals surrounding a purple corolla, unlobed leaves and no stout stem spines.

The epithet speciosum means showy, while fuchsia-flowered refers to the resemblance of its hanging red flowers to those of a fuchsia.

Propagation. Take semi-ripe cuttings in summer or hardwood cuttings in autumn to winter. Seed can also be used, but germination may be slow and requires suitable cold treatment. Before planting or sharing plants, check local Ribes restrictions in parts of the United States and Canada because of white pine blister rust regulations.

Accepted botanical name

Ribes speciosum

In the US and Canada

Native in the lower 48 states.

Native range

California and Mexico Northwest.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.