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Ribes sanguineum
RED FLOWERING CURRANT, WINTER CURRANT, BLOOD CURRANT, OREGON CURRANT, INCENSE SHRUB
Family: Grossulariaceae
Pronounced: RyE-bees sang-GWIN-ee-um
GROWING GUIDE
Geographic Origin:
British Columbia, California, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.
Plant Group:
Shrubs.
Hardiness:
Sunset zones: 4-9, 14-24, A3.
USDA zones: 6-8.
Heat zones: 8-6.
Mature size:
Height: 5-12 feet (1.5-3.6 m).
Width: 5-12 feet (1.5-3.6 m).
Flowering period:
Late winter to early spring.
Flowering attributes:
Pendant or erect racemes of 10-20 tubular, dark pink to red flowers followed by insipid, glaucous, blue-black berries.
Leaf attributes:
Deciduous, maple-like, 3-5-lobed, green leaves, 2-4 inches across, alternately arranged on stems.
Light:
Full sun to partial shade.
Soil:
Moist to dry, well-drained soil.
Propagation Methods:
Mostly disease resistant; however, all ribes can harbor white pine blister rust, so growing near pines is not recommended. Susceptible to honey fungus.
Rainy Side Notes
Being spineless isn't necessarily bad, especially when describing a plant. Having two other spiny flowering currants in the garden, I appreciate one with no prickles to impale my skin. Nevertheless, being gardener-friendly isn't the only reason I value our native red-flowering currant. It's one of the showier ribes, blooming in late winter when I am tired of rain and gray, cold days. Their bright red flowers are standouts in the landscape; if you stand close to them for more than a few minutes, the hummingbirds will take advantage of the nectar-laden, tubular blossoms.
The fruit is not very palatable; although they would work as survival food, you will need to be hungry before chewing on these berries without spitting them out in disgust.
As a Western native, the shrub is quite drought tolerant. It grows mainly on dry soils and disturbed sites but can take a variety of soil conditions, from rocky to humus-rich earth, as long as it is well-drained. Utilized for erosion control on slopes, it has an added benefit of deer resistance.
Ribes comes from the Arabic word ribas, which means acid-tasting (fruit). Sanguineum, which comes from the Latin word sanguineus, means blood-red.
This erect, multi-stemmed shrub has a rich history with the who's who in the botanical world. The first European to see the plant was Scotsman Archibald Menzies during a long voyage to the new world with Captain George Vancouver in 1793. Later in 1817, plant explorer David Douglas brought seed back from the Pacific Northwest region and introduced it to England, where it became pretty popular. Many hybrids came out of breeding work done in Europe, which we enjoy in our gardens today. R. 'King Edwards' is the most well-known and grown.
Wildlife
Ribes sanguineum is an important early food source for the returning ruby-throated Rufous hummingbirds and resident Annas. It also provides nectar for butterflies, bees and beneficial insects, while the leaves provide food for some species of butterfly larvae.
Many birds relish the fruit: cedar waxwings, grouse, jays, pheasants, robins, sparrows, thrushes, towhees, and woodpeckers. Mammals such as chipmunks, coyotes, foxes, mountain beavers, raccoons, skunks and squirrels also utilize the berries.
Ethnobotany
Children will eat just about anything; the Chehalis and Squaxin children prove it true by eating the berries fresh. I don't know how the adults managed it. Perhaps it's an acquired taste, but the people from the Hoh, Klallam, Quileute, Skagit and Thompson ate the berries fresh off the shrub. The Quileute stewed the fruit before eating, and the Salish boiled, then dried the berries and made them into cakes for winter use. The Thompson dried the berries and used them as a flavoring for soups.
Photographed in author's garden.
Rainy Side Gardeners — rainyside.com