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| Catalina Perfume (Evergreen currant; Ribes viburnifolium): Mother Nature's Backyard |
January is the dead of winter. While most S.
California gardens aren’t covered in snow, this is still the coldest and
wettest time of the year. So we treasure
any plant that dares bloom in January.
One of our early bloomers, Ribes
viburnifolium (pronounced RIE-bees (or REE-bees) vi-bur-ni-FO-lee-um), is flowering
right now in Mother Nature’s Backyard.
We urge you to come and see it!
Ribes viburnifolium is also known commonly as the Evergreen currant,
Island currant, Catalina currant, Island gooseberry and Santa catalina island
currant. It’s a surprising member of the Gooseberry
family (Grossulariaceae), which
contains many of our common edible berry bushes. Catalina perfume looks and behaves
differently from other native currants/gooseberries; but it’s a wonderful plant
in its own right.
Catalina perfume is endemic to only two places:
Santa Catalina Island (one of the S. California Channel Islands) and near the
border of San Diego County and Baja California, Mexico. Island species – and those separated from main
populations in other ways – often differ from their nearest relatives. Isolation can be a powerful force in the
development of new species. So we shouldn’t be surprised that Ribes viburnifolium differs from other
local Ribes. The cultivar Ribes
viburnifolium ‘Spooner’s Mesa’,
which has slightly larger leaves, is derived from the San Diego population.
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| Catalina Perfume (Evergreen currant; Ribes viburnifolium): Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, Claremont CA |
In
the wilds, Catalina perfume is a fairly uncommon plant, growing in shady canyons
and slopes, often quite near the ocean. Ribes viburnifolium
is a member of the chaparral community. It rarely occurs above about 1000 ft. (300 m.)
elevation, making it suitable for lowland Los Angeles
County gardens. In nature, it often
grows in the shade of Lemonadeberry, Sugar bush and other shrubs. This hints at its most effective uses in the
garden.
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| Catalina Perfume (Evergreen currant; Ribes viburnifolium): young plant |
Evergreen
currant is an evergreen sub-shrub (part-woody) that grows 1-2 feet (30-60 cm)
tall and up to 8 or 12 feet (2 ½ to 3 ½ m.) wide. In sunnier locations it may be slightly
taller and more upright; in shady locations it’s more of a woody groundcover. The slender stems are arching or sprawling;
where they touch bare ground they may root.
These characteristics make Ribes
viburnifolium a popular native shady groundcover. But the plant is versatile and can also be
pruned as an upright shrub if that’s desired.
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| Catalina Perfume (Evergreen currant; Ribes viburnifolium): leaves |
The
leaves of Catalina perfume are simple, rounded, medium green and one to one and
a half inches (2-4 cm) in diameter. In
sunnier locations, leaves often have a thick waxy coating, giving the upper
surface a shiny appearance. In shady
spots, the leaf surface will often appear less shiny.
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| Catalina Perfume (Evergreen currant; Ribes viburnifolium): leaf glands |
The
leaves are covered with small, bumpy yellow glands. These glands (glandular
trichomes) secrete the aromatic resins for which the plant is named. After a rain – or when the leaves are rubbed –
they release a fragrance that is pleasant, but difficult to describe. It has hints of pine, some apple or grape,
and perhaps a touch of vinegar. Anyway,
impossible to describe, but a wonderfully refreshing scent.
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| Catalina Perfume (Evergreen currant; Ribes viburnifolium): foliage |
The
young bark of Ribes viburnifolium is
red to red-brown and contrasts beautifully with the green foliage. The foliage attributes – and the ability to
tolerate shade – have made this plant a popular ground cover for shady slopes
and under trees. It is widely available
throughout S. California, from nurseries offering native plants.
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| Catalina Perfume (Evergreen currant; Ribes viburnifolium): flowers |
Catalina
perfume’s flowers are pleasing in a sweet, old-fashioned way. Unfortunately, they are so small (less than ½
inch) that you may miss them amongst the foliage. But hummingbirds will let you know that
something good is blooming! Ribes
viburnifolium is a winter or early spring bloomer. It may bloom as early as January/February or
as late as April in western Los Angeles County. The flowers are evenly spaced on short (1-3
inch) flowering stalks (see above).
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| Catalina Perfume (Evergreen currant; Ribes viburnifolium): close-up of flowers |
The
flowers are worth a closer look. Their
overall color is reddish-brown or reddish purple. The color is mostly provided by the prominent
sepals, which are much larger and showier than the petals (see above). The anthers (male sex organs) and pollen are
white and showy – extending out beyond the sepals. This is a hummingbird flower: red color,
sweet scent and distinctive floral architecture. But the flowers also attract bees and
butterflies. In fact, this plant can be
an important food source for all these pollinators in winter.
Like
other Ribes species, Ribes viburnifolium produces edible
fruits. They are small, red,
currant-type fruits – quite pretty, though uncommon on our bushes. We’ll try to get some pictures this
year. The fruits are not the tastiest of
our native Ribes, and most gardeners
just leave them for the birds.
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| Catalina Perfume (Evergreen currant; Ribes viburnifolium): under Live oak, Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, Claremont CA |
Catalina
perfume is not picky about soil texture; we’ve had good success in very sandy
and clay soils. If your pH is above 8.0
(alkali soil) you may want to consider another species, but this plant is
pretty adaptable otherwise. It does need
some shade and probably looks best in bright shade under trees. At any rate, be sure it gets at least afternoon
shade in S. California; it will grow fine in quite shady locations, though
flowering will likely be less.
Catalina
perfume does not tolerate extreme heat, so it’s a better choice for western S.
California than for hot, inland areas. Once
established, Ribes viburnifolium is
fairly drought tolerant; you can even grow it under summer-dry native oaks (see
above). It looks best with moderate to
occasional water – 1 to 2 times a month in most S. California summer
gardens. It is fine in areas that get a
little overspray from lawns or other regularly watered areas. And it won’t need any added fertilizer unless
you grow it in a container (if so, give a single dose of half-strength
fertilizer in early spring).
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| Catalina Perfume (Evergreen currant; Ribes viburnifolium) |
So
why consider Ribes viburnifolium for
your own garden? If you have a shady
slope – or need a groundcover for a shady spot under trees or in the side yard –
Catalina perfume is an easy care, native alternative to invasive ivy, star
jasmine or non-native honeysuckles. It’s a great plant for erosion control. Just water occasionally, trim back as needed,
and that’s about it. This plant is more
than acceptable for front yards; your most persnickety neighbors won’t even guess
it’s a native!
If
you need a small shrub for a shady spot, start shaping Ribes viburnifolium the first year.
It can be kept to a quite serviceable size with routine pruning. We haven’t yet grown it in a container, but
are considering trying it on a shady porch. We love the idea of being able to
reach over and rub the scented leaves. We’ll update with pictures in a year or so.
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| Catalina Perfume (Evergreen currant; Ribes viburnifolium): shady garden |
And
if you worry about having winter flowers for hummingbirds and other
pollinators, this is a superior choice to many of the non-native groundcovers. You’ll also be helping to maintain a plant
that’s rare – even threatened – in the wild.
And that may be reason enough to plant this wonderful island native!
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| Catalina Perfume (Evergreen currant; Ribes viburnifolium): Mother Nature's Backyard, Gardena CA |
For a
gardening information sheet see: http://www.slideshare.net/cvadheim/gardening-sheet-ribes-viburnifolium
For more
pictures of this plant see: http://www.slideshare.net/cvadheim/ribes-viburnifolium-web-show
For plant
information sheets on other native plants see: http://nativeplantscsudh.blogspot.com/p/gallery-of-native-plants_17.html
We
welcome your comments (below). You can
also send your questions to: mothernaturesbackyard10@gmail.com
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