Mark A. Miller
Family
Grossulariaceae
Botanical Name
RIBES odoratum
Plant Common Name
Clove Currant
Special Notice
This entry has yet to be reviewed and approved by L2G editors.
General Description
Currants make excellent subjects for the ornamental or culinary garden. Deciduous and evergreen shrubs from the temperate zones of the Northern Hemisphere and the uplands of South America, they are most commonly grown for their small, spherical, often translucent berries, which are usually edible. The several-seeded fruits are black, red, green, yellow, or purple. Many currants are well worth growing for their showy clusters of small, four- or five-lobed, pink, white, red, or yellow flowers, which may be spicily scented. Their generally undistinguished, typically three- to five-lobed leaves are sometimes pungently fragrant. Some currants have brilliant fall color. All parts of these shrubs may be spiny or bristly. Among the Ribes most cultivated for their fruit are black currant (R. nigrum), gooseberry (R. uva-crispa), and their hybrids. Flowering currant (R. sangunieum) is prized for its show flowers; alpine currant (R. alpinum) for its compactness and adaptability; and buffalo currant (R. odoratum) for its spicy yellow blooms.
Most currants do well in a wide range of soils in full to partial sun. They work well in mixed borders, edible plantings, and hedges. As the alternate host for white pine blister rust, they should not be grown (and are typically banned) in areas where that disease is extant (http://plantclinic.cornell.edu/FactSheets/wpineblister/wpineblister.htm).
Characteristics
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Plant Type
Shrub
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Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial Shade
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Height
2'-12' / 0.6m - 3.7m
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Width
2'-12' / 0.6m - 3.7m
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Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer, Late Winter
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Native To
North America, South America, Europe, Asia
Ornamental Features
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Flower Interest
Showy
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Flower Color
White, Yellow, Red, Pink
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Fruit Color
Yellow, Red, Green, Purple, Black
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Foliage Color (Spring)
Green
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Foliage Color (Summer)
Green
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Foliage Color (Fall)
Green
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Fragrant Flowers
Yes
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Fragrant Fruit
No
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Fragrant Foliage
Yes
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Bark or Stem Fragrant
No
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Flower Petal Number
Single
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Repeat Bloomer
No
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Showy Fruit
No
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Edible Fruit
Yes
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Showy Foliage
No
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Foliage Texture
Medium
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Showy Bark
No
Special Characteristics
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Usage
Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Hedges, Mixed Border, Screening / Wind Break
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Sharp or Has Thorns
Yes
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Invasive
No
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Attracts
Birds, Hummingbirds, Butterflies
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Self-Sowing
No
