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Prickly Gooseberry

Ribes cynosbati

Found in moist slopes, periglacial boulderfields, talus, grassy balds, especially at medium to high elevations. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Northern Tier edition What its natural habitat tells you

77
Strong

Native to West Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 100%

Height
2–4 feet
Light
Partial shade, Full shade, Full sun
Soil moisture
Dry to moist
Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Woody perennial
Leaves
Deciduous
Bloom
April to June
Fruiting season
July to September

Not yet recorded · Spread

Recorded in 13 West Virginia counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 3

Moist forests

Forests on moist but not wet ground, such as rich slopes and ravines.

Cliffs, ledges and rocky summits

Cliffs, ledges, rock outcrops, talus and rocky summits where the source does not name the rock. A named rock files the place under its own glade or outcrop type instead.

Mountain balds

Treeless grassy or shrubby summits and ridges in the high mountains.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in West Virginia. Shared habitat, not food. 106 animals.

All wildlife of West Virginia

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

76CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including WV

Genus host records with ranges including WV · Ribes

  • Achatia distinctaDistinct Quaker
  • Acronicta impressaImpressive Dagger, Printed Dagger
  • Alcathoe caudataClematis Borer, Clematis Clearwing Moth
  • Amphipyra pyramidoidesMiranda Underwing, Copper Underwing, Copper Amphipyra
  • Antheraea polyphemusPolyphemus Moth
  • Apamea amputatrixYellow-Headed Cutworm Moth
  • Archips argyrospilaFruit-Tree Leafroller Moth
  • Archips purpuranaOmnivorous Leafroller Moth
  • Automeris ioIo Moth
  • Biston betulariaSalt-and-Pepper Geometer, Cleft-Headed Looper
Show all 76
  • Campaea perlataPale Beauty, Fringed Looper
  • Carposina fernaldanaCurrant Fruitworm Moth
  • Cepphis armatariaScallop Moth
  • Chloridea virescensTobacco Budworm Moth
  • Choristoneura rosaceanaOblique-Banded Leafroller Moth, Rosaceous Leaf Roller
  • Clepsis persicanaWhite Triangle Tortrix
  • Crocigrapha normaniNorman's Quaker
  • Dichorda iridariaShowy Emerald
  • Dysstroma citrataDark Marbled Carpet
  • Dysstroma hersiliataOrange-Barred Carpet
  • Dysstroma truncataMarbled Carpet
  • Ectropis crepusculariaThe Small Engrailed, Saddleback Looper
  • Erannis tiliariaLinden Looper Moth, Western Winter Moth, Lime Looper
  • Eulithis propulsataCurrant Eulithis
  • Eupithecia miserulataCommon Eupithacia, Common Pug
  • Eupsilia tristigmataThree-Spotted Sallow, Brown Fruitworm
  • Eutrapela clematariaCurved-Tooth Geometer, Purplish Brown Looper
  • Euxoa messoriaReaper Dart, Darksided Cutworm, Dark-Sided Cutworm
  • Hesperumia sulphurariaSulphur Moth
  • Hyalophora cecropiaCecropia Silkmoth, Cecropia Moth
  • Hyles lineataWhite-Lined Sphinx
  • Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
  • Hyppa xylinoidesCommon Hyppa
  • Iridopsis ephyrariaPale-Winged Gray
  • Iridopsis humariaSmall Purplish Gray
  • Iridopsis larvariaBent-Line Gray
  • Lambdina fiscellariaHemlock Looper, Western Oak Looper
  • Limenitis arthemisBanded Purple, Red-Spotted Admiral
  • Lithacodes fasciolaYellow-Shouldered Slug
  • Lithophane baileyiBailey's Pinion
  • Lophocampa maculataSpotted Tussock Moth, Yellow-Spotted Tiger Moth
  • Macaria evagariaDrab Angle
  • Macaria ribeariaCurrant Spanworm Moth, Currant-Worm Moth
  • Macaria subcessariaBarred Angle, Barred Granite
  • Malacosoma americanaEastern Tent Caterpillar
  • Melanchra adjunctaHitched Arches
  • Melanchra pictaPainted Arches, Zebra Caterpillar Moth
  • Nematocampa resistariaFilament Bearer, Horned Spanworm Moth
  • Nymphalis milbertiMilbert's Tortoise Shell, Fire-Rim Tortoise Shell
  • Olethreutes appendiceumServiceberry Leafroller
  • Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
  • Orthosia hibisciSpeckled Green Fruitworm Moth, Speckled Green Quaker
  • Orthosia rubescensRuby Quaker
  • Orthotaenia undulanaDusky Leafroller
  • Papaipema cataphractaBurdock Border, Potato-Stalk Borer
  • Papaipema nebrisStalk Borer
  • Polia nimbosaStormy Arches
  • Polygonia progneGray Comma
  • Prochoerodes lineolaLarge Maple Spanworm Moth
  • Protoboarmia porcelariaPorcelain Gray, Dashedlined Looper
  • Pseudopostega quadristrigellaGooseberry Barkminer
  • Pyrrharctia isabellaIsabella Tiger Moth, Banded Woolybear
  • Selenia alcipheariaNorthern Selenia, Northern Thorn
  • Sicya maculariaSharp-Lined Yellow
  • Sideridis roseaThe Rosewing
  • Spaelotis clandestinaClandestine Dart, W-Marked Cutworm
  • Spilosoma virginicaVirginian Tiger Moth, Yellow Woolybear Moth, Yellow Bear
  • Spiramater lutraDarling Mamestra, Splashed Arches, Otter Spiramater, Otter Arches
  • Synchlora aerataWavy-Lined Emerald, Camouflaged Looper
  • Xanthotype sospetaCrocus Geometer
  • Xanthotype urticariaFalse Crocus Geometer
  • Xestia c-nigrumSpotted Cut-Worm, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Lesser Black-letter Dart
  • Xestia dolosaGreater Black-Letter Dart, Greater Spotted Cutworm
  • Xylena nuperaRed Swordgrass Moth, American Swordgrass Moth, False Armyworm
  • Carposina ottawana
  • Herpetogramma aquilonalis
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
11BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Ribes

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
12BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Ribes

  • Alectoris chukarChukar
  • Aphelocoma californicaCalifornia Scrub-Jay
  • Catharus guttatusHermit Thrush
  • Dendragapus obscurusDusky Grouse
  • Pinicola enucleatorPine Grosbeak
  • Sialia currucoidesMountain Bluebird
  • Sialia sialisEastern Bluebird
  • Turdus migratoriusAmerican Robin
  • Tympanuchus phasianellusSharp-tailed Grouse
  • Tyrannus tyrannusEastern Kingbird
Show all 12
  • Vireo griseusWhite-eyed Vireo
  • Vireo olivaceusRed-eyed Vireo
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Grossulariaceae
Soil pH
Acidic
Flower color
White, yellow, green or brown
Fruit begins
July
Fruit ends
September

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Dogberry; Eastern Prickly Gooseberry

Conservation status

West Virginia rankS4
Global rankG5
WV statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Sources