Side by side
Mountain currant or gooseberry? How to tell them apart
Ribes alpinum · Ribes uva-crispa
How to tell them apart – mountain currant: dense, thornless currant with small, three-lobed leaves that come out early in spring, often planted as a hedge in shade; gooseberry: prickles below the buds and large, single berries.
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How do you recognise them?
- Mountain currant
- Dense, thornless currant with small, three-lobed leaves that come out early in spring; often planted as a hedge in shade.
- Gooseberry
- Low shrub with spines below the leaf bases, small lobed leaves and green or red, often hairy berries.
- Compared with mountain currant: prickles below the buds and large, single berries.
| Mountain currant | Gooseberry | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Alternate, 2–5 cm, roundish with 3 (sometimes 5) deeply toothed lobes, glossy and almost hairless; leafs out as early as March. | Alternate or in clusters, rounded, 3–5-lobed, 2–5 cm. |
| Flowering | Small, greenish-yellow flowers in short, upright clusters, in April–May; male and female on separate shrubs (April–May). | Small, hanging, greenish-red flowers in April (April). |
| Fruit | Small red berries in July, only on female shrubs; edible, but insipid. | Large green, yellow or red berries, smooth or hairy (July). |
| Bark | Thin, greyish-brown twigs without prickles; old stems with peeling bark. | Stems with 1–3 spines below each bud. |
| Shape and height | Shrub, 1–2 m | Shrub, 0.5–1.5 m |
| Site | Sun to shade, any garden soil, normal | Sun or partial shade, any garden soil, normal |
| Native to Belgium | Yes | Yes |
| Good for bees, butterflies and birds | – | Yes, for bees, butterflies and birds |
| Poisonous to people and pets | Not known to be poisonous | Not known to be poisonous |
| Pruning months | May–June and August | July–August and November–February |
What does it mean for your garden?
- Both are native and good for wildlife: choose what suits your soil, your light and the space you have.
Read on
- Plant profile: Mountain currant
- Plant profile: Gooseberry
- Mountain currant: when and how to prune
- Gooseberry: when and how to prune
- Identification key
Also looks like
This comparison is compiled from the Bladwijzer species pages.