Ribes aureum
golden currant
Family GrossulariaceaeAlso called clove currant, buffalo currant
About
Ribes aureum, the golden or clove currant, is a North American deciduous shrub known for spring clusters of yellow, clove-scented flowers and amber to black berries. It is widely grown in native and wildlife gardens.
Care at a glance
- Pet safety
- Not recorded. We have no source on whether this plant is safe for cats, dogs or other pets — that is not the same as safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked.
- People
- Not recorded.
- Mature size
- 2–3 m (6.5–10 ft) tall.
Field notes
Morphology
A deciduous shrub 2–3 m tall with semi-leathery, 3–5-lobed leaves 1.5–4 cm long that redden in autumn. Racemes of up to 18 golden yellow (sometimes cream to reddish) flowers have a spicy clove or vanilla scent. Berries about 1 cm across ripen amber-yellow to black.
Distribution & habitat
Native to Canada and the central United States west of the Mississippi, naturalised in the eastern US. Grows on gravel banks and plains near flowing water.
Ecology
Pollinated by hummingbirds, butterflies and bees; birds and mammals eat the fruit. It can host white pine blister rust, so it is sometimes removed from forests where the fungus is active.
Cultivation notes
Widely planted as an ornamental in traditional, native, drought-tolerant and wildlife gardens, with named cultivars available. Flowers are bisexual, but cross-pollination greatly improves the crop.
History & etymology
The only member of section Symphocalyx, within the same subgenus as blackcurrant and redcurrant.
Habitat
- Altitude
- Not recorded
- Altitude class
- —
- Native to
- Canada, United States
Cultivation
- Difficulty
- Not recorded
Text adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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