Ribes aureum

Golden Currant is native across the west and is easily grown in a wide variety of soils ranging from rich, moist loams to thin, dry, rocky soils. The bright yellow flowers attract hummingbirds, butterflies, and native bees and have a unique vanilla-scented fragrance. The berries are edible to people but not as good as hybrid gooseberries that tend to be sweeter, but they are loved by birds.

This stunning 3-8' native shrub from the prairies, forest edges and streambanks of the western United States and Canada makes a perfect addition to native and edible landscapes. Spicily fragrant deep-yellow flowers appear in drooping clusters in late spring and are followed by reddish-orange to black fruits. The flowers and fruit are much loved by bees, butterflies and birds. Pretty three-lobed foliage is glossy, leathery and pale-green turning rich shades of red-wine in autumn. This shrub is very adaptable enduring both drought and temporary flooding. Spreads by suckers and if happy will form large colonies; afternoon shade is best in very hot areas. S/M-D

Upright, deciduous shrub with light green leaves and clusters of yellow flowers in the spring that carry a fragrance of cloves. Flowers form into small black berries during the summer. Native to the intermountain west. Growth Rate fast

A 3-6' tall rapidly growing deciduous shrub that is very easy to grow. Golden currant is a colorful showy shrub with flavorful berries that are about the size of blueberries. The berries can be either yellow, red, or purple when ripe. The scented bright yellow flowers are well liked by the hummingbirds. Golden Currant can be used as a beautiful back drop to a woodland planting or under oaks, as it is drought tolerant. Bloom time is from April - May. Native to California and is also found outside of California, but is confined to western North America. The fruit of this shrub attract many birds, which aid in its dispersal. It is found around alluvial flows and will spread by rhizomes and layered stems to form rangy thickets. The berries were used for food and other plant parts for medicine by several Native American groups. Found in by streams, in ravines and on mountain slopes. rocky slopes and sandy bluffs. Communitites located in Sagebrush Scrub, Yellow Pine Forest, Red Fir Forest, Lodgepole Forest, Northern Juniper Woodland, Foothill Woodland, Southern Oak Woodland, Wetland-riparian Between 0 and 9843 feet.

Blooms: spring, yellow, with orange-red center when pollinated. Spicy fragrance/orange berries. Zone 6-9. 3'-9', PNW, part shade, moist, well drained

Fragrant yellow flowers with negligible black fruit.

This less commonly seen species of Ribes is a lovely shrub. The golden yellow flowers are small but the quality of them is quite showy. Growing into an arching shrub to 9’ tall. Medium to fast growth and drought tolerant. It is deciduous with a nice red fall color. Hummingbirds love the flowers and other birds love the black fruit. And if you can beat the birds to the berries, they make an excellent jam. Ribes aureum is native to California but you purists out there please note that the seed for these plants was collected in Montana and may be somewhat genetically different.