Even the elliptical berries, dangling in rows from outstretched, arching limbs, are ornamental - ranging from yellow to orange to red to black at maturity. Red and black currants are preferred for fruit production over alpine or golden currants. Fruits JuneAugust, berries smooth, black, globe-shaped, about inch across; with many seeds. Cultivated statewide for its edible fruits. Photo by Susan McDougall. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Elevation of golden currant habitat is dependent on latitude (lower farther north) but ranges from near sea level to almost 10,000 feet. Fruit is edible and is eaten by birds and animals. The golden currant needs no extra fertilization, except for the mulching I mentioned that will maintain not only a good level of even moisture and temperature control, but supply nutrients as well. List by Scientific Name (alphabetically): Commonly available as potted plants from traditional and native-plant nurseries. Hey there. Im looking forward to them ripening. The flowers are followed by edible orange, red, or dark purple (black) berries. Trees are woody plants over 13 feet tall with a single trunk. Leaves have interesting lobed shape, maintain nice appearance all summer, and turn soft shades of orange and red in the fall. Lemme tell ya, picking these gooseberries absolutely requires leather gloves. This Ribes aureum is known for producing delicious berries. Gooseberry canes normally produce a spine at each leaf node and bear roughly grape-sized berries singly or in groups of two or three. Box 200 Columbia, MO 65205 Phone: (888) 843-6739 | General Inquiries:info@moprairie.org| Outreach or Educational Inquiries: outreach@moprairie.org The Missouri Prairie Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization. Trailing Black . The Golden Currant shrub can be seen growing in the wild and also can be grown in landscapes as an individual shrub or with several as a hedge. Flower: The dark yellow flowers grow in drooping axillary clusters. Golden currant is an erect to arching, spineless shrub up to 6 feet high. Individual blooms are about inch in diameter. Starches from fruit and seeds are very infrequent. Yes, the golden currant produces translucent orange to red berries that have a sweet-tart taste and are edible. Just the like the domestic gooseberries I used to grow when I lived in Fredericksburg, Virginia. I can't wait to see it grow. All rights reserved. Its fruit is small, intense and smells/tastes like Blueberries on steroids. Use in the Landscape: Plants of golden currant can fill many niches in the landscape. Globally, there are about 150 species in genus Ribes, and they are often divided (in an oversimplified way) into currants (with jointed flower stalks) and gooseberries (with unjointed flower stalks). Pruning can keep this shrub to any size you please. Seed can be obtained from native-plant seed suppliers. I use venison mincemeat with a Scottish flair, using wild berries and Scotch. Had a great spotacres of bushes. Ripe berries can be consumed raw as well. The species name, odoratum, refers to the fragrant flowers. In some wild populations of this species the whole range of berry color is present and intermixed. Raspberrys beauty is mortal. In many areas, it is unlawful to plant certain types of Ribes where white pines are harvested for timber. They are my main weakness when it comes to sweets, and I specialize in weird ice. I found many mats there spread over a wide area. Sticky Currant Ribes viscosissimum. There is nothing like a thimbleberry. It grows in Sagebrush Scrub, Lodgepole Forest, Valley Grassland, and Riparian in Fresno and Inyo counties along the sierra Nevada range to Modoc county and Siskiyou counties. Other good companions include moderately xeric wildflowers, such as Aquilegia coerulea, Aquilegia scopulorum, Penstemon wilcoxii, Zauschneria garrettii, Iris missouriensis, Deschampsia caespitosa, and Sporobolus airoides. Like many other rusts, it needs two hosts to complete its life cycle; its alternate host is various species of Ribes. Adams, Washington. The Scientific name is Ribes aureum. The best forms for landscape applications are those with dense habit. Photo by Al Schneider. The early stage caterpillars feed on the undersides of the leaves, so its harder to see them. Spreads by suckers to form colonies in optimum growing conditions. Chaparral currantRibes malvaceum. Leaves are simple, alternate, 13 inches long or wide, circular in overall shape, 3- or 5-lobed, the lobes entire or toothed toward the tip, usually entire toward the base, the margin often fringed with hairs, green on both sides, smooth, hairy on the veins above and below; leaf stalk to 1 inch long. Foliage: Leaves are deciduous, light green in color, and distinctly 3-lobed. They are very, very small fruits and you loose about 50% of what you could have due to them dropping to the ground with the slightest jostle. Your email address will not be published. These strong and recovering peoples and plants deserve our respect, gratitude, and reparations. Cant comment on growth yet since its brand new but its one of the healthiest looking bareroot plants Ive purchased from anywhere. In the fall, the leaves turn bright red. Many species of gooseberries and currants have been the subject of an aggressive eradication campaign in parts of the country where white pine grows and is harvested for lumber. Golden Currants will do best if they are planted in full sun, but a little shade in hot regions won't be detrimental. The shrubs are an alternate host of the white pine blister rust, which was unintentionally brought in from Europe around 1900. The flowers have a strong fragrance reminiscent of spicy cloves or sweet carnations. It is a short bush that grows in large mats almost exclusively in various drainages. Or, you could do as I did, and make gooseberry sorbet. Cassis fruit taste is not sweet but rather tart, similar to a passion fruit's taste that is not a common feature of berries, which is quite a unique taste from the rest of the berries. Very happy and will order again! Ribes odoratum primarily native from Minnesota and South Dakota south to Louisiana and Texas, is closely related to the species herein and is now being listed in some references as Ribes aureum var. The flowers are followed by edible orange, red, or dark purple (black) berries. I pick wild gooseberries with a used food can- like green beans, corn-,after empty & washed. The currant provides some protection for your landscape. The flowers have a strong fragrance reminiscent of spicy cloves or sweet carnations. A cousin of the raspberry, it is more delicate, more deeply flavored, more perfect. Regular irrigation, once every 10 days to 2 weeks during the heat of summer will improve appearance. Sun/Shade/Preference: Grows well in full sun to moderate shade. Best bet is to pop off the whole end of the plant so you can ease the berry off its base at home. As with gooseberries, preparing wild currants takes some doing: When youre picking them, part of the stem usually pulls off with the berry; plus, a little dried point usually remains on the other end of the berry (its whats left of the flower). For a more precise determination of the shrubs watering need, you only need to monitor the soil. We did, and got a couple of surprises in the process. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Despite great cultural losses, they continue to work towards stewarding and restoring wild populations, both strengthening the integrity of the ecology and sustaining their cultural heritage and wisdom. Fruit: The fruits are orange, red, or dark purple berries, with color depending on source. However, we do recommend pruning for fruit productivity and shape (it can handle hard pruning). The common name clove currant refers to the aromatic, clove-like smell of the flowers. Golden Currant is a winter-hardy, drought-tolerant, multi-stemmed shrub with clusters of fragrant, edible yellow flowers in Spring, followed by juicy sweet-tart berries in Summer. The berries even attract birds that feed on them. Soil PH: 6.0 - 8.0, Groundcovers, Deer Resistant, Hummingbird Gardens, Bird Gardens, Butterfly Gardens, Bee Gardens, Use with other woodland plants such as Oaks (, Remove unwanted suckers to contain spread. In spring, golden yellow flowers appear and emit a strong, clove-like fragrance. I want to pick and eat them but Im afraid, they are abundant and growing everywhere! The plants are cousins, and share a very similar leaf like a ridged, toothed maple leaf. Big difference between currants and gooseberries? Northern Black Currant Ribes hudsonianum. Planted densely, golden currant makes a good hedge. aureum) inhabit a wide range of habitats, including riparian corridors, forest edges, moderately dry rocky hillsides, and even the extremes of barren lava fields. The golden currant can be propagated by seed, cuttings or division. Bark is reddish brown to gray, often splits, with the thin sheets curling along the trunk; the pores are prominent; the wood is white, soft. If 30 days have gone by since your purchase, unfortunately we cant offer you a refund or exchange. For newly planted shrubs, soil with low to moderate drainage works best. You can make a refreshing, sweet jam out of these berries. Favorite cultivated gooseberries usually are derived from the Old World species R. uva-crispa (sometimes called R. grossularia), which is often hybridized with the North American species R. hirtellum (often called the American or hairy-stem gooseberry, it is not native to Missouri). Thimbleberries! Propagate by cuttings or seed. The currant arrived in great shape - very healthy! Found in roadside ditches, fencerows, thickets, montane meadows, and streamsides, Golden currant ranges from southern Canada to California, Arizona, South Dakota, and western Texas. Eat them plain. If you do not use trimming tools then your golden currant will grow up to 8 feet tall and 5 feet wide. We do not share email addresses. In some references, semi-hardwood cuttings harvested in September are recommended. Found in a variety of settings and habitats most often slope bottoms, creek sides, bottoms of slopes adjacent to wetland-riparian. As a cold tolerant plant, the Ribes aureum is suitable to be grown in USDA hardiness zones 5 to 8. Occurs on exposed, high rocky limestone or dolomite bluffs often on narrow ledges of nearly sheer rock faces along the White River drainage and locally along the Jacks Fork River. Ribes aureum Golden Currant. In the Great Plains region to our west, where it is more abundant, the sweet, flavorful berries are a favorite wild edible. If youre looking to grow these plants in containers or tubs, you can, but trimming will be required to remove unwanted suckers and contain spread. All rights reserved. Avoid overhead watering. Attracts: Birds, Hummingbirds, Butterflies, Tolerate: Rabbit, Drought, Erosion, Clay Soil. Golden Currant Care, Growing, Watering, Flowering, Propagation. Bark is reddish brown to gray, often splits, with the thin sheets curling along the trunk; the pores are prominent; the wood is white, soft. P.O. It can be found alongside Black Gooseberry, under White or Black Oak and California Pine Nut, and above a medley of native wildflowers. Immature fruits of Ribes aureum and three-lobed, maple-like leaves, near Yellowjacket Canyon, Colorado. Your email address will not be published. Birds that eat berries, no doubt including golden current, include catbirds, thrashers, robins, and waxwings. Plant size is modest (4 to 8 feet tall) and form is reasonably dense and cultured. Twigs are flexible, reddish brown, hairy; the spurs on the stem bearing fruit; older twigs are grayish brown. We facilitate and provide opportunity for all citizens to use, enjoy, and learn about these resources. Golden currant was eaten by the people of many Native American tribes and by early settlers, as it is today. Many types of bees, flies, butterflies (notably the brown elfin), moths (notably hummingbird and clearwing moths), and wasps visit the flowers of Ribes species for nectar, pollen, or both. And dont forget to smell your bag for motivation from time to time. Seeds, cuttiings, layering or division (suckers). I am a chef, author, and yes, hunter, angler, gardener, forager and cook. Once youve gotton an eye for them go north to the Link rd and take a right on the dirt road across from it. Uncommon, mostly in the western portion of the Ozarks. A 30 second dip in bleach solution will reduce contamination. They have yellow tubular flowers with red centers in the spring to early summer (April to June). Back in June, wed found lots of bushes, but they were still in flower. Spring-flowering shrubs are an important nectar source for insects that are active in early spring. 1980). It is uncommon in the western part of the Ozarks. 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Older golden currant berries smell are grayish brown flowers have a strong fragrance reminiscent of spicy cloves or carnations.

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