by Marilee Henry
Since mid-March, red flowering currants have been bursting with blooms throughout western Washington, attracting migrating Rufus and other species of hummingbirds with their scented rose-colored flower clusters filled with nutritious nectar for the birds' northward spring flights along the Pacific Flyway. These beautiful shrubs occur naturally mostly west of the Cascade Crest from British Columbia to California, with isolated pockets in Idaho, from sea level to mid elevations in the mountains. They can thrive in a wide variety of habitats, from open woodlands to rocky slopes, in moist to dry conditions.
Ribes sanguineum has been a favorite for urban horticulture for almost 200 years. Introduced into the British Isles in 1826 by the Scottish botanist David Douglas, it became so popular in landscaping that some now consider it invasive! For our region this stunning species is a well-deserved desirable native for gardeners, restoration ecologists, and wildlife alike.
Red flowering currant is an upright unarmed deciduous shrub that can reach 12 feet in height with a spread of 6 to 10 feet and a vase-shaped form. It is characterized by reddish-brown bark, and alternate 1 to 3 inch maple-like leaves having 5 lobes, deeply incised palmate veins, and finely toothed outer edges. Blossoms hang in pendant clusters of 10 to 30 pink to red (rarely white) tubular flowers, each about ¼ inch long and wide, having 5 sepals, 5 petals, and 5 stamens, with the petals usually lighter in color than the sepals. Bloom time is typically late February to April in western Washington, with round blue-black glaucous berries ripening in August through September. In autumn the leaves turn yellow to reddish before going dormant, providing contrast at evergreen forest borders or hedgerows.
Besides being important for migrating hummingbirds, red flowering currant is a favorite for our resident Anna's hummingbird, and it is a particularly critical early spring nectar source for early-emerging queen bumblebees and orchard Mason bees. Other pollinators include many native bees, bumblebees, butterflies, and moths. This plant is host to the larvae of over 24 species of moths and butterflies, including the zephyr butterfly Polygonia gracilis zephyrus and the ceanothus silkmoth Hyalophora euryalus.
The larvae of moths and butterflies hosted by this shrub are highly nutritious foods for birds rearing young chicks, and are needed in vast numbers to keep bird populations from declining further. For example, chickadee parents need to feed a clutch of 4 babies between 6,000 to 9,000 caterpillars before they are fully fledged! As wild habitats decline, we need more than ever to add native larval host plants as well as those supplying nectar to our private lands. Red flowering currant meets both these needs and also provides shelter for birds and small animals, and occasional browse for deer and elk. The berries, which persist as a food source for several months, are consumed by many birds and animals including grouse, quail, finches, towhees, robins, cedar waxwings, deer, and elk.
The berries are edible for humans as well, though many consider them insipid eaten raw. Indigenous peoples used berries mostly in cooking. They contain pectin and are therefore good in jams and preserves, especially with added sugar. The flowers are also said to be edible and can lend a floral flavor to salads, desserts, syrups, and gin!
This versatile shrub is a must for western Washington gardens! Though its preference is a location in partial to full sun in well-draining soil, its tolerance for a range of soil types from acidic to alkaline and sun exposures makes it suitable for rock gardens to woodland borders to pollinator beds. It can be used in hedgerows - space plants at least 6 feet apart for adequate air circulation - or as upland plants in streambank or wetland areas. If grown in full sun, supplemental water will be needed for the first year or two. Once well established, this species is hardy to cold, frost, and drought.
Red flowering currant, or any Ribes species (currants or gooseberries), should not be planted in close proximity to any white pine species - these are the five-needled pines - as plants in the genus Ribes may carry the white pine blister rust pathogen. For our area, western white pine (Pinus monticola) is the only species of concern you are likely have in your garden. Shore pine (P. contorta) and Ponderosa pine (P. ponderosa) are two- and three-needled pines respectively, that should not be affected.
Red flowering currant is easily propagated by seed. Gather ripe berries in the fall, remove the surrounding fruit, and sow the small dark seeds directly into the ground or into containers that are set outside to get cold stratification during the winter. Hardwood cuttings taken in fall can be rooted in moist sandy soil. This species is self fertilizing, but more plentiful fruit is reported when several plants are grown close enough for cross-pollination to occur. Note that if you happen to plant golden currant (Ribes aureum) near your red flowering currant, their seeds may produce hybrid offspring that have a salmon-pink hue!
Since red flowering currant has been such a favorite in landscaping for so long, many cultivars of this species are available. It is not a good idea to trust that changing the characteristics of a plant to suit human tastes will result in one that is effective as a food/nectar/pollen source for the animals that evolved with the original native. It is recommended that you only plant unaltered native species if you wish to help our struggling wildlife populations.
Remember, "You are nature's best hope!" - Doug Tallamy, author of "Nature's Best Hope" and "Bringing Nature Home".
Marilee Henry
Kirkland Community Wildlife Habitat Team Member, Washington Native Plant Society (WNPS) Native Plant Steward, Green Kirkland Steward, Finn Hill Neighborhood Alliance Contributor
Oxbow Farm and Conservation Center Native Plant Sale
Saturday April 5, 2025, 10am - 4pm
NW Chapter North American Rock Garden Society Plant Sale
Saturday April 12, 2025, 10:am - 1:00pm, Bellevue Botanical Garden
SER-UW native plant sale
Online April 14th - 18th; in person Sunday April 27th 2025, from 10 AM to 2 PM at the
Douglas Research Conservatory at the Center for Urban Horticulture, 3507 NE 41st St, Seattle
WNPS Central Puget Sound Chapter Spring Plant Sale
Saturday April 26, 2025, 10am, Bellevue Botanical Garden
Lake Wilderness Arboretum Plant Sale
Friday April 25th 10am - 6pm, and Saturday April 26th, 10am - 4pm
Check out a variety of presentations and events for the month of April:
https://www.wnps.org/wnps-annual-events/npam