Ribes sanguineum
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| Ribes sanguineum Pursh |
Ribes sanguineum (Flowering Currant or Red-flowering Currant) is a species of currant native to western coastal North America from central British Columbia south to central California.
It is a deciduous shrub growing to 4 m tall. The bark is dark brownish-grey with prominent paler brown lenticels. The leaves are 2-7 cm 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 racemes 3-7 cm long of 5-30 flowers; each flower is 5-10 mm diameter, with five red or pink petals. The fruit is dark purple oval berry 1 cm long, edible but with an insipid taste.
[edit] Cultivation and uses
It is a very popular garden shrub, grown for its brightly colored and scented flowers in early spring. Numerous cultivars have been selected with flowers ranging from white to dark red. It was introduced into cultivation by David Douglas.
Named cultivars include:
- 'King Edward VII', with red flowers
- 'Pulborough Scarlet', also with red flowers
- 'White Icicle', with white flowers
