ID a sweet-smelling plant.

January 9, 2009 10:30 AM

What is this plant? Its leaves smelled great. Located in the SF bay area, hiking near Livermore.
posted by kenko to home & garden (7 comments total)

Looks like a gooseberry plant to me, but I can't really make out the leaf shape because of the focus. I also don't really think of gooseberry plants as smelling great, but maybe I just haven't taken the time.
posted by devilsbrigade at 10:45 AM on January 9

Yeah, sorry about the focus thing. My camera's preview screen has become somewhat unreliable in its old age.
posted by kenko at 10:53 AM on January 9

Actually, I may retract that guess. It really doesn't look much like a gooseberry plant.
posted by devilsbrigade at 10:54 AM on January 9

It's a currant or gooseberry (Ribes sp.). Here's a link to some that are native to Ca. http://www.laspilitas.com/groups/ribes_currant_gooseberry/Ribes_currants_of_california.html
posted by shrabster at 10:54 AM on January 9

Also, currant plants smell very nice...so I'm pretty sure of the ID even with the blurry photo.
posted by shrabster at 10:56 AM on January 9

Chaparral currant looks highly plausible.
posted by kenko at 11:20 AM on January 9

Definitely a Ribes. After the flowers you should get little black currants. They're not poisonous, so far as I'm aware, but they don't taste all that good.

I used to have one that smelled of cat urine when it was pruned.
posted by Solomon at 11:49 AM on January 9