Gooseberry family, Grossulariaceae
Origin: the west of North America
Habitat in the original area: mountain areas
Habitus: A shrubby wooden species up to 3 meters tall, without thorns. Younger twigs are reddish, turning grey in old age.
Leaf: The alternately arranged leaves with short petioles are divided into 3 to 5 lobes. There are finely scattered trichomes on the upper side, the lower side is tomentose.
Bloom, fruit: The blooms are from pink to blood red in colour, they have a striking calyx tube, and 12–15 of them are combined into hanging clusters. The tree blooms at the turn of April and May. The fruits are dark blue berries lightly frosted on the surface.
Interesting fact: Thanks to its distinctively coloured blossoms, this species is planted as an attractive wooden plant into hedges or as a solitary plant. Its cultivars with white or deep red blossoms are also abundant.
