Ribes sanguineum

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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

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

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 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 racemes 3–7 cm long of 5–30 flowers; each flower is 5–10 mm diameter, with five red or pink petals. The fruit is a dark purple oval berry 1 cm long, edible but with an insipid taste.[1]

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

  • var. glutinosum
  • var. sanguineum[2]

Gallery

  • Flowers buds open in early spring as leaves emerge.

  • Spring Buds on Pink Flowering Currant (R. sanguineum var. glutinosum)

  • Racemes of 5–30 flowers are 3–7 cm long.

  • A cultivar in Somerset

References

  1. ↑ RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. p. 1136. ISBN 1405332964. 
  2. ↑ "Ribes sanguineum". CalFlora. Retrieved 5 January 2010. 

External links

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