This is a vine-growing shrub about 6' across and 4' or 5' high, great fall color and leaves that look like maples. Anyone know what it is? Thanks. Frith
I have been told by the keeper of the garden that this is Ribes Aureum (David was close!) - Flowering Yellow Currant/Golden Currant.
Thanks Ron. How can you tell them apart at this time of year? There seems to be a lot of variety in leaf shapes, and I can't remember what color the flowers are in the spring.
Since the 'Crandall' cultivar has been rather prevalent at outlets here it might be possible to take some leaves from the shrub in question and compare them with a 'Crandall' at another location, maybe in somebody's garden or at a nursery that has not been able to sell them all off yet this year. Otherwise, some written descriptions will point out anatomical differences that matter. R. odoratum...5-7 ft., with pubescent young branches: lvs. ovate to orbicular-reniform in outline, 1-3 in. broad, deeply 3-5-lobed, cuneate or truncate at base, coarsely dentate, becoming glabrous...Planted for its fragrant yellow fls.; the Crandall currant, grown for its fr. belongs here. R. aureum...Smaller and more slender bush than R. odoratum, young branches glabrous or puberulous: lvs. often subcordate at base and slightly crenate-dentate...Some of the stock in cult. may represent this species. --L.H. Bailey, Manual of Cultivated Plants - Revised Edition (1949, Macmillan Company, New York)
I looked at lots of photos of the both species and came to the conclusion that either it is too difficult to tell them apart or most of the photos misidentify them. One of the sites mentioned something about glabrosity of the petioles. Here are two leaves from Ribes aureum/odoratum: the right one is from my backyard - birds brought it, the left one is from the wild place at the edge of the city. I thought they belong to the same species, Ribes aureum, the only species listed for Utah. Now I am in doubt. One of them may be an escapee from someones garden.
