Comments on: ID a sweet-smelling plant.

Question: ID a sweet-smelling plant.

kenko — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 10:30:30 -0800

What is this plant? Its leaves smelled great. Located in the SF bay area, hiking near Livermore.

By: devilsbrigade

devilsbrigade — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 10:45:57 -0800

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.

By: kenko

kenko — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 10:53:40 -0800

Yeah, sorry about the focus thing. My camera's preview screen has become somewhat unreliable in its old age.

By: devilsbrigade

devilsbrigade — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 10:54:42 -0800

Actually, I may retract that guess. It really doesn't look much like a gooseberry plant.

By: shrabster

shrabster — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 10:54:42 -0800

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

By: shrabster

shrabster — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 10:56:21 -0800

Also, currant plants smell very nice...so I'm pretty sure of the ID even with the blurry photo.

By: kenko

kenko — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 11:20:07 -0800

Chaparral currant looks highly plausible.

By: Solomon

Solomon — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 11:49:10 -0800

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.