Ribes sanguineum

Ribes sanguineum
Ribes sanguineum var. sanguineum (Deception Pass State Park, Washington)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Core eudicots
Order: Saxifragales
Family: Grossulariaceae
Genus: Ribes
Species: R. sanguineum
Binomial name
Ribes sanguineum
Pursh 1813
Synonyms[1]
  • Calobotrya sanguinea (Pursh) Spach
  • Coreosma sanguinea (Pursh) Spach

Ribes sanguineum, the flowering currant, redflower currant, or red-flowering currant, is North American a species of flowering plant in the family Grossulariaceae, native to western United States and Canada (British Columbia, Washington, Idaho, Oregon, California).[2][3][4][5]

Description

Ribes sanguineum flowers.
Ribes sanguineum fruits.

It is a deciduous shrub growing to 2 m (7 ft) tall and broad.

The bark is dark brownish-grey with prominent paler brown lenticels.

The leaves are 2–7 cm (1–3 in) long and broad, palmately lobed with five lobes; when young in spring, they have a strong resinous scent.

The flowers are produced in early spring at the same time as the leaves emerge, on dangling racemes 3–7 cm (1–3 in) long of 5–30 flowers; each flower is 5–10 mm (0.20–0.39 in) in diameter, with five red or pink petals.

The fruit is a dark purple oval berry about 1 cm (0.5 in) long, edible but with an insipid taste.[6]

Cultivation

Ribes sanguineum was introduced into cultivation by 19th century Scottish botanist David Douglas. It and its varieties and cultivars are popular garden shrubs, valued for their brightly colored and scented flowers in early spring, and birds and habitat support.

Numerous cultivars have been selected with flowers ranging from white to dark red.

Varieties

References

  1. ↑ The Plant List, Ribes sanguineum Pursh
  2. ↑ Calflora taxon report, University of California: Ribes sanguineum
  3. ↑ Plants of British Columbia: Ribes sanguineum
  4. ↑ Biota of North America Program 2014 county distribution map
  5. ↑ Turner Photographics, Ribes sanguineum - Wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest includes photos, description, partial distribution map
  6. ↑ RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. p. 1136. ISBN 1405332964.
  7. ↑ "Ribes sanguineum". CalFlora. Retrieved 5 January 2010.
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