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Home , Ribes

2020 March of the Month

BWSR Featured Plant species Name: Native currants Ribes( species) Plant : (Grossulariaceae)

From left: Currant flowers are a high-priority food source for the endangered rusty patched bumblebee. This is wild black currant, . Photo Credit: Peter Dzuik, Minnesota Wildflowers are related with prickly stems. Only one currant, prickly currant () has similar stems. This is prickly gooseberry, .Photo Credit: Peter Dzuik, Minnesota Wildflowers Currants typically have many flowers in clusters called racemes. The racemes of this skunk currant () are upright. Other species have drooping racemes. Photo Credit: Mark Garland, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Plants Database In contrast to currants, gooseberries have few flowers per cluster, typically one to three. This is Missouri gooseberry, . Photo Credit: Katy Chayka, Minnesota Wildflowers Minnesota’s five species of native related to gooseberries. But, with the Plant Stats currants are small or medium exception of one species, currants STATEWIDE WETLAND found throughout the state, typically lack bristles, prickles or spines on INDICATOR STATUS in wet or moist soils of both upland their stems. They provide food, cover (Midwest): and lowland habitats. They are and habitat for a variety of wildlife. Ribes lacustre, prickly currant: FACW Ribes americanum, wild black currant: Identification FACW Currants are shrubs have small, yellow resin , northern black with upright, arching glands on one or both currant: OBL or sprawling stems that leaf surfaces. Currants Ribes glandulosum, grow 3 to 8 feet tall. bloom from May to skunk currant: FACW Except for prickly currant June with two to 18 , red currant: OBL (Ribes lacustre) they five-parted flowers have smooth stems, in upright, arching or PRIMARY USES: although new growth drooping clusters. Wildlife and pollinator may be hairy. Leaves are red or blue-black benefits, landscaping are alternate, attached a quarter-inch to singly to the stem, with a half-inch in diameter, Currants are shrubs with alternate, three to five palmate some with glandular palmately lobed leaves. Depending on the species, the margin has pointed or rounded lobes and toothed hairs, maturing from teeth. This is wild black currant, Ribes margins. Some species June to September. americanum. Courtesy photo

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From left:Wild black currant, Ribes americanum; Skunk currant, Ribes glandulosum; Northern black currant, Ribes hudsonianum; Prickly currant, Ribes lacustre; Swamp red currant, Ribes triste Map Credits: USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service's Plants Database

Native currants are found throughout widespread. Other species’ ranges are including lakeshores, riverbanks, Minnesota. Wild black currant limited primarily to northern counties. marshes, hardwood swamps, conifer (Ribes americanum) is common and All prefer wet or moist habitats, bogs or moist upland forests.

Planting Recommendations Uses Currants prefer wet or moist gooseberries are intermediate Currants provide food rusty patched locations with full or partial hosts for white pine blister and cover for mammals bumblebee. Currants also sun. They will multiply by , a fungal disease that can and birds. Their flowers are used in windbreaks. seed and may form thickets kill white pine () provide nectar and pollen They’re planted in by tip-rooting or layering and other five-needled pines. for many pollinators. landscapes for their fall along sprawling stems. To reduce the risk of infection, The shrubs are a high- color. Fruits are edible. Bareroot seedlings should look for native species or their priority food source for Some species, primarily be planted in spring. Potted that are resistant to Minnesota’s state bee, of European origin, are shrubs should be planted the disease. American black the federally endangered grown commercially. from spring to mid-summer. currant (Ribes americanum), To prevent leaf spot and other for example, has a lower risk fungal diseases, plants should of infection. Many cultivars Similar Species be spaced 5 to 6 feet apart available at nurseries are Gooseberries are similar, but unlike most currants, to improve air circulation. developed from the European their stems have bristles, prickles or spines. Only a few nurseries carry black currant (Ribes nigrum) Gooseberry flowers and fruits are in clusters of native currants. Check the or red currant (Ribes rubrum). one to four, whereas currants are in clusters of two Minnesota Department Although these cultivars may to 18. of Natural Resources’ list be disease resistant, native of native plant suppliers species are preferred for for details. Currants and greater pollinator benefit.

References Trees and Shrubs of Minnesota, by Welby Smith. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, 2008 Wetland Plants of Minnesota, Second Edition, by Steve W. Chadde. A Bogman Guide, 2012 https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/pg_riam2.pdf https://www.fws.gov/midwest/endangered/insects/rpbb/plants.html https://bwsr.state.mn.us/sites/default/files/2019-08/Native%20Plant%20Selection.pdf https://extension.umn.edu/plant-diseases/white-pine-blister-rust https://ag.umass.edu/landscape/fact-sheets/white-pine-blister-rust-ribes-species https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/wetland/plants/wb_currant.htm https://plants.usda.gov

Developed by Susan Nelson

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