Ribes sanguineum

Red-flowering currant, Red-Flowering Currant

Family: Grossulariaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Red-flowering currant is a California native shrub found in coastal and northern California forests and woodlands at elevations below 1,500 meters. Flowering from February to April, this plant produces clusters of pink to red drooping flowers 10 to 20 blossoms long with delicate white to red bracts. Growing up to 4 meters tall with multiple stems and no nodal spines, the shrub develops a graceful, arching form. Its leaves are thin to moderately thick, typically 2 to 7 centimeters long with coarse to fine tooth edges, creating a delicate green backdrop for the vibrant flowers. The plant produces blue-black berries with a glaucous coating, which are covered in glandular hairs and provide food for local wildlife.

California counties: Humboldt, Santa Clara, Siskiyou, Del Norte, Mendocino, Trinity, Alameda, Marin, San Mateo, Sonoma, Monterey, Tulare, Solano, Glenn, Tehama, Contra Costa, San Bernardino, Santa Cruz, San Francisco, El Dorado, Placer, San Diego, Butte, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Madera

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.