Ribes lobbii aka Sticky Gooseberry

Ribes lobbii is a deciduous shrub in the gooseberry family, Grossulariaceae. Its common names include gummy gooseberry and Lobb's gooseberry. Some sources also call it Vancouver Island gooseberry. Its native range runs from southwest British Columbia to northwest California. It grows in Washington and Oregon along the way. Wild plants occur beside creeks and in lowland valleys. They also grow on open and wooded mountain slopes.

The shrub reaches about 6 feet [1.8 metres] in height. It loses its leaves for winter and bears sharp thorns. The supplied sources give no species-level leaf or bark details. Flowers appear from April to May. Each flower has both male and female organs. Insects carry pollen between the flowers. The fruit is edible, though its taste limits its food value. People can eat it raw or cook it. Some Indigenous North American peoples ate the fruit on occasion.

Grow this shrub in sun, with soil that holds moisture yet drains well. A loam of at least fair quality suits it. It also accepts sandy and clay soils. The soil can be mildly acid, neutral, or mildly alkaline. PFAF describes it as easy to grow in these conditions. Its main growing guidance rules out shade. The same source also lists dappled shade as a landscape setting. A sunny woodland edge offers the clearer match to its stated needs.

PFAF lists USDA hardiness zones 6–9 and cold tolerance near −20°C. It values the species as an ornamental shrub. Plants can host a stage of white pine blister rust. For that reason, PFAF advises keeping them away from pine trees. It reports no known hazards and no weed potential. That hazard entry does not establish safety for every use. The sharp thorns also matter when choosing a garden site.

Recorded uses extend beyond fruit. Roots have served in traditional remedies for diarrhoea and skin sores. These records describe past use, not proven treatment. People also processed the roots with cedar and rose roots for rope. They used the thorns as small probes and tattooing tools. Gardeners can raise new plants from seed or cuttings. Fresh seed can be sown in an autumn cold frame. Stored seed needs three months of cold treatment before sowing.