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Native Plant Propagation Guidelines:
shrubs

Ribes sanguineum (red-flowering currant)

Category: 
shrubs

(photo by Dave Polster)

Erect, unarmed, 1-3 m tall shrub. Stems crooked. Bark reddish-brown and finely hairy on young growth. Leaves deciduous, alternate, commonly five-lobed, 2-6 cm broad and paler and hairier below. Flowers commonly rose coloured but vary from white to deep red, in erect to dropping clusters of 10-20 or more flowers. Fruits blue-black, round berries with glandular hairs and a waxy, white bloom, 7-9 mm long (Pojar et al.). Photo by Dave Polster.

Scientific Name: 

Ribes sanguineum Pursh var. sanguineum

Family: 
Grossulalariaceae
English Name: 
red-flowering currant
Other Names: 
blood currant, Oregon currant, winter currant

Geographical Range and Habitat Requirements

Ecological Setting: 

Dry open woods, rocky slopes, disturbed sites (road cuts, etc) at low to middle elevations.

Soil Texture: 

Coarse, well-drained soils preferred.

Nutrients: 

No information available.

Soil Reaction and Salinity: 

Neutral to mildly acidic.

Moisture Regime: 

Moist soils preferred but fairly drought-resistant once established (S. Bastin, personal communication)

Shade Tolerance: 

Full sun to partial shade.

Successional Status: 

Pioneer species on recently disturbed sites due to the long dormancy period of the seeds (Williams, 1984).

BEC Zone and GOE Community Status: 

Modal BEC Zone: Coastal Western Hemlock. Found in CWH, CDF, IDF. Associated plants: In part shade: bigleaf maple, bitter cherry, Douglas-fir, grand fir, baldhip rose, evergreen huckleberry, Indian-plum, mock-orange, Pacific rhododendron, salal, vine maple, sword fern, ocean spray, Western serviceberry. In sun: Pacific madrone, snowbrush, hairy manzanita, kinnikinnick, blue elderberry (Klinka et al., 1989; Ministry of Forests, 1994; Klinkenberg, 2004; www.depts.washington.edu).

Uses

Site Rehabilitation: 

Can be a useful component of a land reclamation program.

Wildlife: 

Critical source of early-spring nectar for hummingbirds. Fruits eaten by other birds.

Landscaping: 

Excellent, showy, back-of-border shrub for the home garden. Beautiful in groups and drifts in larger settings such as barriers and borders in parks and along highways.

First Nations: 

Fruits eaten by coastal peoples but not highly regarded.

Other Uses: 
n/a

Seed Propagation

Flowering Time: 

April - May

Fruit Ripening Time: 

June - July

Seed Collection Time: 

July - mid-August

Crop Intervals: 

Annual but irregular

Number of Seeds per Kilogram: 

129,000 (0.04 kg seed/kg berries)

Seed Viability: 

60-65% (400 seedlings/ kg of seed)

Fruit and Seed Collection and Extraction: 

Collect by hand when fruits are uniformly black. Macerate in water in a blender and float off pulp. Spread seeds in a thin layer to dry (but don't over-dry) (Creasy and Gertzen, 2001; Pfister, 1974).

Seed Storage: 

Store dry seeds at low humidity in sealed containers. Seeds remain viable for long periods, and temperature does not seem to be critical (Pfister, 1996). Excellent results from fall sowing.

Fruit/Seed Dormancy and Treatment: 

Sow seeds in fall (preferable) or cold stratify at 0-2ºC for three months and sow in spring (Pettinger, 1996; Pfister, 1974).

Vegetative Propagation

Method Success Rate Time of Collection
Softwood cuttings Excellent. Treat 10 cm cuttings with rooting hormone (0.3-0.5 % IBA) and plant under a mist. Rooting in 4-6 weeks. May - July
Semi-hardwood cuttings Good. Same treatment as above. July - August
Hardwood cuttings Good. Treat 15 cm hardwood cuttings with 0.8% IBA. Late winter
Root cuttings Good Spring - summer
Suckers Moderate Spring
Plant division Good Spring

 

Outplanting Characteristics and Requirements

Has a medium rate of growth. Avoid pruning if possible; plant looks best in its natural habit (S. Bastin, personal communication).

Seed and Cutting Propagation Techniques

n/a

Additional Information and Photos

For more information and pictures, visit the E-Flora BC website at www.eflora.bc.ca.