Description

Oak gooseberry favors hot interior mountains from the SF Bay Area south to Baja, Mexico. It is unusual among California’s gooseberries in having yellow flowers (most have maroon and white flowers) and smooth dark blue fruit (most have bristly fruit). This plant will often be found growing under oaks, and is a good choice for a site under a blue oak. The form is a dense fountain of arching branches, which will grow into a “briar patch” of stoutly spined branches. The lobed leaves are smooth and shiny. In early spring, small yellow flowers appear. These have the same structure as other gooseberries, but are solid yellow. The edible fruit matures in early summer. Plant this interesting gooseberry in a well-draining site that receives at least a half day of sun during the growing season. Like all members of the genus, oak gooseberry will lose its leaves in the late summer or early fall. New leaves appear in early winter.