American Black Currant (Ribes americanum)

Category: Shrubs | Edible Plants | Windbreak | Wildlife | Drought Tolerant | Floodplain Site | Mesic Site | Moist Site | Shaded Site

American Black Currant is a native, multi-season shrub valued for its fragrant spring flowers, edible berries, and wildlife benefits. In May, clusters of yellow, sweetly scented flowers appear and attract hummingbirds and other pollinators. By late summer, these blooms develop into dark black berries that provide food for birds and can also be harvested for jams, jellies, and preserves.

This rounded shrub typically grows about 6 feet tall and 5–6 feet wide, making it well suited for naturalized plantings, edible landscapes, and wildlife habitat gardens. Its attractive green foliage provides a lush backdrop through summer before turning scarlet red in fall, adding seasonal interest.

American Black Currant grows best in full sun to part shade and tolerates a range of conditions, including mesic to moist soils and partially shaded sites. It performs well in habitat plantings, hedgerows, and mixed shrub borders where wildlife value is desired.

Important Shipping Notice

Plants in the genus Ribes are an alternate host for white pine blister rust (Cronartium ribicola), a disease that affects eastern white pine. Due to state agricultural regulations, we cannot ship Ribes species to the following states: Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Virginia.

NATIVE RANGE

Map courtesy of USDA-NRCS Plants Database.