Golden Currant

Scientific name

Ribes aureum

Description

The Golden Currant is a small to medium sized deciduous shrub species that can grow up to 3 m in height. This plant may also be known by the common names: Buffalo Currant, Clove Currant, and Missouri Currant. The leaves are green coloured, ovate shaped, and have 3-5 rounded lobes. The flowers are showy, golden yellow in colour, grow in dropping clusters, bloom from April to May, and have a pleasant fragrance similar to vanilla or cloves. These flowers produce berries that are amber yellow to black in colour, also grow in dropping clusters, and are edible, ripening in July to August. The fruit are beneficial to many wildlife species, like birds, and the flowers are beneficial to many pollinator species, like butterflies. This is a widely used species for ornamental and restoration purposes.

Planting conditions

Golden Currant grows best in wet or moist areas with full sun to partial sun exposure. This shrub can tolerate dry, upland areas. It can grow in a variety of soil types with a normal pH level but prefers fertile loam. This shrub is shade tolerant but may produce less flowers and fruit. This plant can be naturally found in forests, forest edges, wet grasslands, prairies, the bottom of slopes/ditches, and along river or lake shorelines.

Details

• Plant height:
  • Max 3m
  • Any
• Moisture level:
  • Dry
  • Normal
  • Moist
  • Wet
  • Drought Tolerant
  • Flood Tolerant
• Light conditions:
  • Full sun
  • Partial sun
  • Shade
• Soil type:
  • Sandy
  • Loamy
  • Clay
• pH:
  • Normal
• Depth:
  • Potted
• Eco Zone:
  • 2a
  • 2b
  • 3a
  • 3b
  • 4a
  • 4b
  • 5a
  • 5b
  • 6a
  • 6b
  • 7a
  • 7b
  • 8a
• Plant type:
  • Shrub
• Height:
  • 3 m
• Spread:
  • 2 m