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Ribes cereum (Wax currant)
Byerley, M. Brooke

Ribes cereum Dougl.

Wax currant, Western red currant, White squaw currant

Grossulariaceae (Currant Family)

Synonyms: Ribes cereum var. cereum, Ribes viscidulum

USDA Symbol: RICE

USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.

White squaw currant is a compact, mounded, unarmed shrub, 3-5 ft. tall and equally as wide, with cherry-like bark and tidy, light-green foliage turning yellow in fall. Clusters of light-pink, bell-shaped flowers give way to bright-red, fuzzy, feather duster-like currants.

This plant is sometimes grown as an ornamental, and its bright red berries can be used in pies and preserves.

 

From the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Leaf: Dark Green
Flower:
Fruit:
Size Class: 3-6 ft.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Pink
Bloom Time: Apr , May , Jun , Jul

Distribution

USA: AZ , CA , CO , ID , MT , ND , NE , NM , NV , OK , OR , SD , UT , WA , WY
Canada: BC
Native Distribution: Extreme s.w. ND to B.C., s. to NM & CA
Native Habitat: Pine forests; wood openings; dry slopes & ridges
USDA Native Status: L48(N), CAN(N)

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Low
Light Requirement: Sun , Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Dry , Moist
CaCO3 Tolerance: High
Soil Description: Dry, rocky or sandy soils.
Conditions Comments: Not recommended; carries disease which kills white pine.

Benefit

Use Wildlife: Berries are favorites among birds. Provides cover for a variety of wildlife.
Conspicuous Flowers: yes

Value to Beneficial Insects

Special Value to Native Bees

This information was provided by the Pollinator Program at The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

Propagation

Description: May be propagated by seed.
Seed Collection: Seeds need to be picked or stripped as soon as they are ripe to lessen losses to birds. Maceration and flotation can be used to extract the seeds.
Commercially Avail: yes

Find Seed or Plants

Find seed sources for this species at the Native Seed Network.

View propagation protocol from Native Plants Network.

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is either on display or available from the following:

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden - Santa Barbara, CA
Native Seed Network - Corvallis, OR

Recommended Species Lists

Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.

View Recommended Species page

Additional resources

USDA: Find Ribes cereum in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Ribes cereum in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Ribes cereum

Metadata

Record Modified: 2007-08-10
Research By: TWC Staff

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