Winter Currant (Trees & Shrubs of the Sunol Region

Winter Currant

Ribes sanguineum

Summary ⁷

Ribes sanguineum (flowering currant or red-flowering currant) is a species of flowering plant in the family Grossulariaceae, native to western coastal North America from central British Columbia south to central California.

Description ⁸

Red-flowering currant (family: Grossulariaceae) produces numerous small flowering spurs on multiple thornless stems. It grows at a moderate rate up to 10 ft. and develops an upright to spreading form. Deciduous, alternate leaves are 1-3 in. and rounded with 3-5 shallow lobes and deep veins lending a wrinkled appearance. They are green above and dull green beneath due to fine hairs and turn yellow to reddish in mid to late summer. Leaves of some plants are pungent when crushed. Numerous 2-6 in. long, nodding clusters of5-25 flowers appear in March to June. The flowers are composed of pink to deep red (rarely white) tubular fused sepals and small protruding red or white flower petals. Blue-black berries smaller than 0.5 in. have a thin white waxy coating, hold about 20 seeds each, and mature in early to mid summer. Thin orange or red tinted bark turns gray-brown and peels from older stems.