Ribes viburnifolium

This evergreen currant is native to Santa Catalina Island and makes an excellent shrubby ground cover under oaks, or erosion control on a bank. Burgundy stems hold shiny, dark green, round, leathery leaves that have a spicy scent. The flowers are small and starry, brick-red-purple, blooming in late winter and spring. Small red-orange and yellow berries follow, but usually only in coastal gardens. This is one very handsome shrub. 2'T x 8'W Minimum temperature: 15?F

An evergreen shrub that grows 3' to 6' tall and 6'-12' wide. Its has dark shiny green leathery leaves that are fragrant after rains. The red bark, and small purplish flowers and a lovely contrast to the leaves. Flowers Jan - May, fruits May to July. This plant looks great all year long and works well accompanied with Iris douglasiana and Heuchera maxima. The shiny green leaves make Catalina Perfume a good, authentic, drought tolerant substitute for Star Jasmine. Excellent under oaks and good for bank cover and erosion control. Native to California and to Baja California. Status: It is included in CNPS's inventory of rare and endangered plants on list 1B.2 (rare, threatened, or endangered in CA and elsewhere) No Historical Uses found. Found in bluffs, canyons. Communitites located in Chaparral Below 1000?.

Evergreen shrub growing to 3-6' tall with wide spreading stems to 8'. Leathery, oval, dark green leaves are fragrant after rain or when crushed. Wine-red stems may root in moist soils. Stem color complements the light pink-red flowers from February through April. Preferring sun or light shade on coast and light to medium shade inland, they are best in well-drained soils with moderate to occasional watering. Utilize as a groundcover or bank cover under oaks. Hardy to 20F. Catalina Island, Baja California.

A drought tolerant shade-loving pink Flowering Currant from the Catalina Islands and Baja. This gets just 2'-3' high and spreading to 8' but can easily be kept much smaller. Evergreen leaves with red stems are waxy and scented. Hardy to 15 °F with damage at 10 °F. Mulching will alleviate.

Although this low shrub or groundcover native to southern California really looks nothing like the flowering currants we are familiar with in the Northwest, it has numerous virtues. Another subject for year-round foliage interest, its somewhat glossy, rounded, evergreen leaves appear on reddish-tinged stems. In spring curious burgundy flowers are displayed above the stems: these are very attractive when viewed up close but too subtle to make the plant appear showy in bloom from a distance. As would be expected, it's completely drought tolerant west of the Cascades and makes a great groundcover or bank cover. Below about 12 °F it freezes to the ground, but if it is well mulched, it returns very strongly from the roots.