They are borne laterally on one-year old wood and on short spurs of older wood. The flowers are self-fertile and pollinated by wind and insects, including bees. Each flower bud opens to yield from one to four flowers, depending on cultivar. The fruit, borne singly or in pairs at the axils, is a berry with many minute seeds at the center. Fruits of the European gooseberry may be very large, like a small plum, but are usually 1 inch long, less in width.
Skin color is most intense in full sunlight.
Berries generally drop when overripe. The fruit has a flavor all its own, the best dessert cultivars as luscious as the best apple, strawberry or grape. Gooseberries like morning sun, afternoon part-shade and buoyant air circulation. They are most productive in full sunlight but the leaves sunburn easily under California conditions. They can be grown in the high shade of fruit trees such as persimmon or on the north side of buildings.