1. Catalina Perfume/Evergreen Currant – Ribes viburnifolium (RIE-bees vi-bur-ni-FO-lee-um)
Family: Grossulariaceae (Gooseberry Family)
Native to: Peninsular Ranges (sw San Diego Co.) & Santa Catalina Island; in canyons and arroyos,
usually in partial shade near the coast.
Growth characteristics: spreading evergreen shrub mature height:1-3 ft. mature width: to 12 ft.
Evergreen shrub/sub-shrub with arching slender branches that root where they touch ground. Leaves
are dark green, rounded and waxy with a spicy fragrance after a rain. Very attractive.
Blooms/fruits: Blooms rarely in shade. Clusters of small, star-like maroon flowers from Feb-Apr.
Flowers are scented. Fruits are small orange berries (rare).
Uses in the garden: A favorite groundcover plant for dry shade. Does great under native oaks,
sycamore & cottonwood. Nice addition to a fragrance garden. Good for erosion control on hillsides &
slopes. Nice cascading over walls, in planters. Works well as fire-retardant groundcover. Fruits are
edible. Cultivar: 'Spooner's Mesa' - San Diego Evergreen Currant.
Sensible substitute for: Non-native evergreen groundcover plants.
Attracts: Nectar source for bees, butterflies, hummingbirds.
Requirements:
Element Requirement
Sun Light to medium shade is best in all but the coolest gardens.
Soil Any well-drained soil; not for highly alkali soils.
Water Zones 1-2 to 2 or 2-3; fine with a wide range of watering conditions.
Fertilizer None needed; likes nutrient-poor soils
Other Not salt-tolerant
Management: Tip-prune to encourage fullness. Old plants can be pruned with string-trimmer to
rejuvenate. Usually very pest free except for Spider Mites. Plants can harbor a stage of 'white pine
blister rust', so they should not be grown near pine trees.
Propagation: from seed: fresh seed in fall by cuttings or layering: hard or semi-soft wood
Plant/seed sources (see list for source numbers): 1, 3, 8, 9, 13, 14, 20, 24, 25 12/13/10
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