Sierra gooseberry facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sierra gooseberry |
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Ribes
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roezlii
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Ribes roezlii is a wild plant found in North America. It's often called the Sierra gooseberry. This plant is a type of currant. It grows in mountain areas. It is known for its very spiky berries.
Contents
Sierra Gooseberry: A Spiky Plant
Where It Grows
The Sierra gooseberry lives in many mountain ranges. You can find it in California. Its home also stretches east into Nevada. It grows north into Oregon. This plant likes chaparral areas. It also grows in woodlands and forests.
What It Looks Like
The Sierra gooseberry is a spiny shrub. It can grow up to about 1.2 meters (4 feet) tall. Its leaves can be smooth or fuzzy. They are about 2.5 centimeters (1 inch) long. Each leaf is divided into 3 or 5 rounded parts. These parts have small teeth along their edges.
Flowers and Fruit
The plant's flowers hang down from its branches. You might see one flower or a small group of 2 or 3. These flowers are small. They are pollinated by wind. Each flower has five red-purple parts called sepals. These sepals bend backward. Inside, there are smaller white or pink petals. The plant's stamens and stigmas stick out.
The fruit is a red or purple berry. It can be up to 2.5 centimeters (1 inch) long. The berry is covered in thick, long spines. The Sierra gooseberry's berries are special. They are very large and spiky. Other similar plants have smaller or less spiky berries.
How Seeds Spread
The seeds of the Sierra gooseberry spread in different ways. Running water can carry them. Animals that eat the fruits also help. For example, American black bears eat these berries.
The leaves of the plant are important food. Mule deer and bighorn sheep eat them. The fruits are a common food for fox sparrows. These birds live where the gooseberry grows. Humans can eat the berries in an emergency. However, they do not taste very good.
