Red-flowering Currant

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Other Names:
Red Flowering Currant, Blood Currant, Pink Winter Currant
Latin Name:
Ribes sanguineum
Size *

The Red-flowering Currant (Ribes sanguineum) is one of the Northwest's most loved ornamental shrubs — drooping clusters of rose-pink spring flowers that hummingbirds adore — followed by dusky, edible blue-black berries.2, 4

Edible & Medicinal Uses

The blue-black berries (a cousin of the European red currant) are food for people and wildlife alike. Their flavor ranges from bland to sweet and their texture from mealy to juicy depending on where they grow — full sun, rich soil, and steady water bring out the most sweetness. They shine dried into little "currant raisins," or cooked into jams, pies, juices, and syrups. And if you'd rather leave them, the birds will happily take every one.1, 4

Ornamental Qualities

A showstopper in early spring, Red-flowering Currant lights up bare branches with pendulous racemes of pink to deep-rose flowers just as the first hummingbirds return — one of their most important early nectar plants. It grows into a graceful 5–10 ft shrub with maple-like leaves, easy and fast in sun or part shade.1

Environment & Culture

Ecology: Native to open woods and forest edges from British Columbia to California, Red-flowering Currant is a keystone spring nectar source for hummingbirds, native bees, and butterflies, and its berries feed many birds. Note: like other Ribes, it can host white pine blister rust, so avoid planting near five-needle pines.1, 2

Culture: The berries are a traditional food eaten fresh and dried by Northwest peoples. We offer it with respect for that living knowledge and invite support for Indigenous-led restoration through our Charitable Giving page.4

In the Kitchen

Gather ripe berries and dry them into tart-sweet "currant raisins" for baking, or cook them down with a little sugar into a jam or syrup. Sweeter fruit comes from sunny, well-watered plants. (Growing and harvest details are on the Planting Guide tab.)

Attributes

  • Native Range: British Columbia to California; open woods, edges1
  • USDA Zones: ~5–93
  • Light: Full sun to part shade1
  • Water: Moderate; drought-tolerant once established1
  • Soil: Well-drained; adaptable1
  • Habit: Deciduous shrub, 5–10 ft; pink spring flowers2
  • Edible: Blue-black berries (fresh, dried, cooked) — sweeter in sun4

References

  1. Native Foods Nursery field notes; CalScape, Ribes sanguineum.
  2. Pojar, J. & MacKinnon, A., Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast, 2014.
  3. USDA PLANTS Database, Ribes sanguineum.
  4. Moerman, D., Native American Ethnobotany, 1998.

Pot Sizing Guide

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Planting Guide: Red-flowering Currant (Ribes sanguineum)

Tip: Site it in sun for the best bloom, fruit, and hummingbird show — and keep it away from five-needle (white) pines, since currants can host white pine blister rust.

When Your Plant Arrives

Open the box promptly and lift your plant out gently, holding the pot rather than the stem. Leave it in its biodegradable eco-pot for now — the roots are settled and don’t need disturbing yet. Give it a slow, thorough drink until water runs through the bottom, then set it somewhere bright but sheltered, out of harsh afternoon sun, drying wind, and frost. Let it rest and acclimate there for a few days before planting, so the move from our greenhouse to your garden is a gentle one. If anything doesn’t look right, please contact customer service within 7 days of delivery and we’ll take care of you.

Choosing a Site

Light: Full sun to part shade (more sun means more flowers and sweeter fruit).

Soil: Well-drained; adaptable.

Space: 5–8 ft apart.

Planting Steps

Plant in fall or spring.

If it came in a biodegradable eco-pot, plant it pot and all — the pot is pressed from composted cow manure, so it melts into the soil and gives the young roots their first feed. No need to remove it.

Set at the depth it grew, firm, water in, and mulch to conserve moisture.

Watering & Care

Establishment: Water through the first summer.

After establishment: Drought-tolerant; a little summer water sweetens the fruit.

Pruning & propagation: Prune after flowering to shape and thin the oldest canes in winter; easy from hardwood cuttings.

Protection

Wildlife: One of the most important early nectar plants for returning hummingbirds — its blaze of pink-red spring bloom is a signature — and the berries feed birds.

White pine blister rust: As a Ribes it can host white pine blister rust, which harms five-needle (white) pines. It is harmless to the shrub, but check local rules and keep it away from white pines nearby.

Harvest Basics

Season: Berries ripen blue-black with a pale bloom in summer.

Use: Pleasant but seedy and mild — dry into “currant raisins” or cook into jam, syrup, or pie. It is grown mostly for its spectacular flowers and wildlife value.