A native woodland shrub recognized by its spiny berries, lobed leaves and prickly branches. Also called Eastern Prickly Gooseberry or Dogberry.
Prickly Gooseberry developing fruit. Select the photo to enlarge.
Family Grossulariaceae
Genus Ribes
Life cycle Perennial woody shrub
Blooms April–June
Height Usually 2–4 feet
Light Part shade to sun
Habitat Forests, thickets and rocky woodland slopes
Explore photographed sightings and their locations.
Start with the berries: long, stiff prickles cover their surface. Leaves are simple and alternate, with veins radiating into three to five lobes. Their surfaces and stalks are hairy.
Fine prickles and longer nodal spines vary along a branch; older portions may lose them. Leaf shape and stem prickles alone overlap with other gooseberries.
Look in woodland understories, thickets and rocky slopes. Wisconsin records span forests from dry to wet. Small, dangling spring flowers are easy to miss; summer fruits make this shrub more conspicuous.
Native to eastern and central North America, including Wisconsin and Illinois. The observation map shows reported sightings rather than a complete native-range boundary.
Reported U.S. distribution
AL, AR, CT, GA, IA, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, NC, ND, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, SD, TN, VA, VT, WI, WV
State records describe documented distribution, not presence in every county. The observation map shows reported sightings and may include cultivated plants.
Distribution source: USDA GRIN.
Missouri Gooseberry (Ribes missouriense) can also have prickly stems, but its berries are smooth. Its flower stamens project prominently beyond the petals; Prickly Gooseberry has much shorter projecting stamens.
The photograph shows Prickly Gooseberry’s spiny fruit, the clearest distinction in this set.
Birds and small mammals eat gooseberries and disperse their seeds. The low branches also provide cover. Green fruits mature to reddish purple.
A cicada rests on this branch beside a spiny fruit. Its presence records a wildlife encounter; the photograph does not establish that it is feeding on the shrub.
Compare Prickly Gooseberry with Missouri Gooseberry and explore other woody plants in the guide.
