Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to Oregon, east to the Atlantic Coast in the northern half of North America.

Habitat: Prairies and lower mountains.

Flowers: May-June

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Sprawling shrub 6-15 dm. tall, the branches stout, yellowish, aging to gray, puberulent and bristly, with 3-5 nodal spines up to 1 cm. long.

Leaves alternate, petiolate, the blades broadly ovate with a truncate base, 1.5-4 cm. broad, palmately 5-lobed half their length, the segments with prominent, unequal teeth, pubescent above and glandular-puberulent below.

Inflorescence of 1- to 2-flowered racemes that are much shorter than the leaves; pedicels not jointed; calyx tube bell-shaped, 2.5-3.5 mm. long and broad, the 5 lobes oblong-ovate, equal to the tube, spreading, greenish-yellow; petals 5, obovate, 2-2.5 mm. long, rounded; stamens 5, equal to the petals, the filaments stout and glabrous; styles 2, fused and hairy half their length; ovary inferior.

Berry globose, 10-12 mm. long, deep bluish-purple.