Washington Native Plant Society: Starflower Image Herbarium

Home > Landscaping > Native Plants for Western Washington Gardens and Restoration Projects

Ribes sanguineum

Red Flowering Currant

At a Glance: Erect, multi-stemmed shrub with showy clusters of deep pink flowers in early spring.

Height: 3-10 feet (1-3 meters).
Growth Form: Shrub.
Stems: Crooked stems; no thorns or spines; young growth finely hairy; reddish brown bark.
Leaves: Alternate; palmately 3 to 5-lobed, green, lower surface hairier and paler than upper; size: 2-6 cm across.
Flowers: In erect or drooping clusters of 10-20 flowers; pale pink to deep red; size: 3-10 mm long; shape: tubular. Flowers appear just prior to leaf emergence.
Flowering Period: February, March, April.
Fruits: Blue-black berries with whitish waxy bloom and glandular hairs; size: 2-9 mm long.


Photo © 2004, Starflower Foundation

Sun/Shade Tolerance	Hydrology	Elevation Range
Shade intolerant. full sun > 80% mostly sunny 60%-80% partial sun and shade 40%- 60% mostly shady 60%-80% full shade > 80%	wet moist dry Wetland Indicator Status: UPL (obligate upland)	low elevation mid elevation sub-alpine high elevation

Soil Preferences
sandy soils gravelly soils clay soils muddy soils peaty soils	well drained soils shallow soils deep soils acidic soils basic soils	humic soils nutrient rich soils nutrient poor soils mineral soils organic soils

Habitat Preferences
Aquatic and Wetland: Ponds or lakes Shallow pools Sloughs Swales or wet ditches Seasonally inundated areas Marshes or swamps Aquatic bed wetlands Emergent wetlands Scrub-shrub wetlands Forested wetlands Bogs, fens Seeps, springs Shorelines and Riparian: Lake shores Bog margins Streams or rivers Stream or river banks Riparian corridors River bars Floodplains Bottomlands Alluvial areas	Saltwater Areas: In or near saltwater Mud flats Tidal areas Estuaries Saltmarshes Brackish water Seashores Coastal dunes or beaches Rocky or Gravelly Areas: Coastal bluffs Cliffs Rocky slopes Outcrops Crevices Glacial outwash Gullies Slide areas Sub-alpine and Alpine: Heaths Snow beds Tundra Avalanche tracks	Forests and Thickets: Forests and woods Open forests Coniferous forests Old growth forests Deciduous forests Mixed forests Nurse logs Forest edges, openings, or clearings Thickets Meadows and Fields: Pastures or fields Meadows or grassy areas Mossy areas Disturbed Areas: Roadsides Trailsides Logged sites Burned areas Disturbed sites

Wildlife Value
Berries Seeds Nectar for hummingbirds Nectar for butterflies Host for insect larvae Thickets and shelter Thorny or protective cover	Birds: The berries are eaten by grouse, pheasants, robins, towhees, thrushes, waxwings, sparrows, jays, and woodpeckers. Several hummingbirds consume the nectar. Insects: The foliage is eaten by zephyr and other butterfly larvae. Mammals: The fruits is eaten by coyotes, foxes, mountain beavers, raccoons, skunks, squirrels, and chipmunks. The twigs and foliage are browsed by deer and elk.

Ethnobotanical Uses and Other Facts

(data not available)

Suggested References

The landscaping and restoration information provided on this page is taken from Starflower Foundation Image Herbarium. All photographs © Starflower Foundation unless otherwise noted.