Northwest Blooms · Shrubs
Ribes aureum
Golden Currant
- Family
- Grossulariaceae
- Height
- 4 to 8 feet
- Width
- 3 to 6 feet
- Flower color
- Bright golden yellow fragrant tubular flowers sometimes aging to orange or reddish tones
- Foliage color
- Medium green lobed leaves often turning shades of red and orange in fall
- Bloom time
- Early to mid spring; often April to May
- Light
- Full sun to partial shade
- Water
- Low to average
- Maintenance
- Low; prune after flowering to shape plants and remove older stems to encourage new growth
- Growing zone
- USDA zones 3 to 8
- Wildlife
- Bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds; birds that feed on the edible berries
About this plant
Ribes aureum produces clusters of tubular yellow flowers in mid spring, the blooms opening with flared tips and releasing a sweet, clove-like fragrance along the stems. The blossoms are followed by rounded berries that ripen to deep purple to black later in the season. Lobed leaves emerge fresh green and form a soft canopy through the growing season, often developing warm yellow tones in autumn.
Native to western and central North America, Ribes aureum grows naturally in open woodlands and along streambanks. In gardens it provides seasonal interest in borders, native plantings, and wildlife landscapes where the flowers attract pollinators and the berries are valued by birds.
Works well in
Sun Gardens · Cottage Gardens · Specimen Plants · Bird Gardens
Companion plants
Tulips · Bluebeard · Feverfew · Larkspur · Sea thrifts · Beautyberry
Design tip
Grow Ribes aureum near a patio or frequently traveled path where its clove-like spring fragrance can be enjoyed without making it a formal focal point. Its loose, natural character works especially well as a transition between cultivated beds and wilder plantings.
