American Black Currant

Scientific Name: Ribes americanum Mill.

American Black Currant

General Information
Usda Symbol	RIAM2
Group	Dicot
Life Cycle	Perennial
Growth Habits	Shrub
Native Locations	RIAM2

Plant Guide

Alternate Names

Wild black currant, black currant

Uses

Windbreaks: This species is suitable for the outside rows of multi-row belts. Wildlife: Black currant is a favored browse of grazing animals. Birds and small mammals eat the berries. This species may form thickets which are desirable for habitat. Recreation and Beautification: This low-growing shrub has attractive flowers which are visited by insect pollinators. The berries are nearly black in color, with a smooth, glossy surface. They are high in vitamins and antioxidants and are used for human consumption. The crimson/gold fall leaf color adds to its visual appeal.

Status

In Minnesota and Michigan, American black currant is reported to invade sedge meadows (Marshall, 1995). White pine blister rust legislation prohibits the planting of Ribes spp. in Michigan. Please consult the PLANTS Web site and your State Department of Natural Resources for this plant’s current status (e.g., threatened or endangered species, state noxious status, and wetland indicator values).

Weediness

This plant does not sucker, but seedlings may establish off-site from seed spread by birds. Please consult with your local NRCS field office, Cooperative Extension Service office, State natural resource, or State agriculture department regarding its status and use. Weed information is also available from the PLANTS Web site at plants.usda.gov. Please consult the Related Web Sites on the Plant Profile for this species for further information.

Description

General: American black currant is a native shrub species three to six feet tall with erect branches lacking spines, on multiple stems, The simple, alternate leaves are one to three inches wide and gland-dotted beneath with three to five lobes, The glands are golden-yellow in color (Stephens, 1973), Small flowers open in May and have five white petals, Use soil moisture sensors to measure the soil moisture of American Black Currant., In central North Dakota, the median date for full flowering is May 21, with an average flowering period of 22 days (Callow et al,, 1992), In Illinois, the tubular flowers are visited by bumblebees which suck nectar and sweat bees which collect pollen (Hilty), Drooping racemes produce glossy, red-purple to nearly black fruit (¼ to ½ inch in diameter) in August-September, The globose berries are smooth and contain many seeds, Ripe fruits are sweet and desirable for human consumption, They are commonly eaten by birds and small mammals through the fall season,

Propagation

is primarily from seed with some possible layering and basal sprouting. American black currant may form open thickets, but does not spread by suckering. Seedling vigor is good, and growth rate is medium. Lifespan is considered short to medium. It has moderate flood tolerance, and is considered highly drought tolerant. It occurs naturally as an understory species and is shade tolerant. It is rated high in palatability by browsing animals, but the evaluation plots in North Dakota showed little damage. Chromosome number is x=8 and the photosynthetic pathway is C 3 . Distribution: This species occurs from New Brunswick west to Alberta, south to Delaware, West Virginia, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, and New Mexico. For current distribution, please consult the Plant Profile page for this species on the PLANTS Web site. Habitat: American black currant occurs primarily along stream banks and in moist ravines, but also in wet meadows, floodplains, and woodland edges (Larson and Johnson, 1999).