Description

The chaparral currant prefers California’s coastal mountains, thriving in open, sunny settings from about Lake County to the Mexican border. A population is also found in the central Sierra foothills where the cool air from the Pacific moderates the interior climate. Chaparral currant’s penchant for dry sunny sites with Pacific influence explains its occurrence on several of the Channel Islands. The island form is the malvaceum variety which is distinguished from the viridifolium variety by its olive green leaves. ‘Dancing Tassels’ was selected from San Clemente Island off the coast from Oceanside, San Diego County. It is favored for its prominent pendant clusters of light pink flowers. The flowers appear with the fresh leaves after a brief fall dormancy. Otherwise this selection is typical of the species - a rounded shrub of lobed leaves to about six feet in height. Clusters of edible berries ripen in early summer.