Redflower currant (Ribes sanguineum)
Description
Ribes sanguineum, the flowering currant, redflower currant, or red-flowering currant, is a North American species of flowering plant in the family Grossulariaceae, native to western United States and Canada (British Columbia, Washington, Idaho, Oregon, California). It is a deciduous shrub growing to 2 m (7 ft) tall and broad. The bark is dark brownish-grey with prominent paler brown lenticels. The leaves are 2–7 cm (1–3 in) long and broad, palmately lobed with five lobes; when young in spring, they have a strong resinous scent. The flowers are produced in early spring at the same time as the leaves emerge, on dangling racemes 3–7 cm (1–3 in) long of 5–30 flowers; each flower is 5–10 mm (0.20–0.39 in) in diameter, with five red or pink petals. The fruit is a dark purple oval berry about 1 cm (0.5 in) long, edible but with an insipid taste. Ribes sanguineum was introduced into cultivation by 19th century Scottish botanist David Douglas. It and its varieties and cultivars are popular garden shrubs, valued for their brightly colored and scented flowers in early spring, and birds and habitat support. Numerous cultivars have been selected with flowers ranging from white to dark red.
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum: Magnoliophyta
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Class: Magnoliopsida
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Order: Saxifragales
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Family: Grossulariaceae
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Genus: Ribes
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