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| Two-year old Golden Currant (Ribes aureum var. gracillimum in Mother Nature's Backyard garden |
Every
garden needs a bit color this time of year.
The locally native currant and gooseberry bushes (genus Ribes) are among the most reliable early
bloomers in local gardens. Our Golden
Currant has bloomed now for several weeks and should provide a welcome spot of ‘gold’
for a few more weeks (see above).
The
genus Ribes is a member of the
Currant family, the Grossulariaceae. Some taxonomists have placed Ribes in the Saxifrage family, although
its members differ significantly from Saxifragaceae. Grossulariaceae
is notable for woody deciduous shrubs that produce edible berries; the
Saxifrages are herbaceous with dry fruits. The current consensus is that
Currants and Saxifrages are sister species; and that the Currant family
contains a single genus (Ribes), although some taxonomists place the
gooseberries into a separate genus: Grossularia. We’ll have to see how that debate plays out.
The
majority of Ribes species are native
to the Northern Hemisphere (primarily North America and Asia, but also Europe);
species from the Southern Hemisphere are limited to mountainous regions. Gooseberry species have prickles (thorns) on
their stems; currants do not. Currants
and gooseberries are grown commercially for fruit and also used as ornamental
shrubs.
There
are over 25 different Ribes species native to California. Southern California is blessed with several
natives, including Ribes aureum var. gracillimum (Golden Currant), Ribes californicum var. hesperium (Hillside currant), Ribes cereum var. cereum (Wax currant); Ribes
indecorum (White currant), Ribes
malvaceum (Chaparral Currant), Ribes
montigenum (Alpine Prickly Current), Ribes nevadense (Sierra
currant), Ribes
roezlii (Sierra gooseberry), Ribes
speciosum (Fuchsia-flowering gooseberry) and Ribes viburnifolium (Island Gooseberry; Catalina perfume). Also
commonly grown in local gardens is the showy Ribes sanguineum var. glutinosum
(Redflowering/Pink currant), native to the Central and Northern California
coast.
Most
local (Los Angeles county) species grow in the Santa Monica and/or San Gabriel
Mountains although some are found on the Southern Channel Islands (Santa
Catalina and San Clemente islands). Our
local variety of Golden Currant, Ribes
aureum var. gracillimum, grows from
Northern California to Northern Mexico, but the parent species is found from
Southern Canada (British Columbia to Saskatchewan) to Northern Mexico. It
commonly grows along stream banks and other moist/seasonally moist places in
shrubland, woodland and forest communities below 3000 ft (900 meters) elevation.
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| Golden currant: shorter in sunnier position (l), more wand-like along north side of building (r) |
Cultivated
since the early 1800s , Golden currant is
a woody shrub 4-9 feet tall with a spread of 5-10 feet. Like all currants, its stems are ‘unarmed’. Unlike some
local species, Golden currant grows by adding new stems at the base and
sprouting from rhizomes (underground stems). A young plant will have only a few stems –
mature plants will have many more. The actual
stem characteristics depend greatly on the amount of light the plant receives
(see above). The stems are shorter, stockier
and more erect in sunnier locations and more wand-like in shade.
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| Golden currant (Ribes aureum var. gracillimum) flowers and foliage |
Golden
currant is stress-deciduous, losing its leaves either during the hot, dry fall
(locally) or with the first cold snap.
The leaves are medium green with the three lobes typical of the genus
(see photo above). The leaves become
red- or purple tinged – and may become entirely red – in fall. In fact, they are a good source of fall
color, along with ‘Roger’s Red’ California grape (Vitis californica ‘Roger’s Red’), in local gardens.
The
flowers of Golden currant are a bright, golden yellow – in fact the name
‘aureum’ refers to their golden color. Plants
flower early in the year – as early as February or even January in our area – and the
bloom season is about a month. In colder
areas, bloom season begins in March or April. The flowers of Ribes aureum var. gracillimum often become more red as they age, an added benefit
this time of year.
The
flowers have five petals and are ‘perfect’ (have both male and female
parts). While individual flowers are
small, the drooping floral clusters are quite showy (see above). The flowers of var. gracillimum have no/little scent, but this doesn’t deter the many
pollinators that visit them. We’ve seen
native bees (including Bumblebees), European honeybees and pollinator flies
visiting our plant in Mother Nature’s Backyard.
The
most showy visitors (above) are Monarch butterflies and the Anna’s and Allen’s
Hummingbirds, both of which are resident in the Gardena Willows Wetland
Preserve where our garden is located.
Plant any of our native Ribes
if you want to attract hummingbirds. They
will fiercely protect their currants
and gooseberries from other hummingbirds/insects – and even scold you if they think you’re getting too
close!
The
fruits of Golden currant are edible – in fact they are among the tastiest of
the native currants. Ripe berries are a
translucent orange to red or even dark purple.
You’ll know fruits are ripe when the birds start gobbling them up. Mockingbirds, Grossbeaks, Robins, Jays, Towhees
and others love the fruits. If you want
some for your family’s use you’ll need to be vigilant. To learn how to pick, clean and save currants see: http://mother-natures-backyard.blogspot.com/2016/08/california-gourmet-preserving-summer.html. We’ll feature some interesting currant
recipes later in the year.
Golden
currant is tolerant of a range of environmental conditions, making it a good
candidate for gardens. We particularly
recommend var. gracillimum for
Southern California because it’s locally native and adapted to our conditions. It can be grown anywhere from near the coast
to the hotter inland and foothill areas.
Plants tolerate full sun only right along the coast. In most gardens, morning or dappled sun is
ideal, although this plant will thrive even in bright shade on the north side
of walls or buildings.
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| Immature fruit: Golden currant |
In
general, native currants and gooseberries like well-drained soils. That being said, many of us successfully grow
Golden currant in quite heavy clay soils.
The trick is in the watering, and Ribes
aureum var. gracillimum is among
the most tolerant of the native Ribes.
It also tolerates a wide range of
soil pH, from slightly acid to alkali.
In
a dry winter (like the present one) you’ll be wise to water your Ribes deeply, as currants need their
winter moisture. Golden currant even
tolerates winter flooding. Choose a
cool, overcast day and water early or late between hot spells. In late spring and summer, mature Ribes aureum var. gracillimum can survive on very little water. We find they look best if given an occasional
soaking – perhaps once a month or several times during the summer. If the leaves are becoming red-tinged, it’s
probably time to water. Be sure to let the soil dry out between
waterings; and overhead watering should be avoided.
Like
most Ribes, native or not, Golden
currant is susceptible to fungal infections, particularly under warm, moist
conditions. Plants are an alternate host
for white pine blister rust (Cronartium
ribicola) which infects white pines (those with needles in bundles of five).
You can do several things to prevent fungal infections: 1) locate plants in
areas with good air circulation; 2) don’t over-water, particularly during warm
weather; 3) don’t plant near white pines.
Golden
currant is most productive – and looks its best – when pruned as the Native
Californians learned to prune it. Native
Californians value native currants as a tasty treat; so in the past, clumps of Ribes aureum were actively managed. Three-year-old branches are usually past
their productive life - pruning out the oldest stems each year will keep your
plants neat, healthy and productive.
Start pruning after the second year of growth. Prune out the oldest 1/3 of the branches
(down almost to the ground); then prune out the oldest 1/3 of branches when
plants are dormant each fall thereafter.
It is usually easy to tell the oldest stems, even when they are dormant.
Golden
current is often used as a shrub in local gardens. It can be informally espaliered along a wall
or fence. It can even be used for an
informal hedge or hedgerow (perhaps with suitable evergreen species). It doesn’t need much care, so it’s a good
choice for hard-to-reach slopes (roots hold the soil) and other ‘challenging’
areas.
As
mentioned above, Golden currant berries are edible, raw or cooked. They can be used to make pies, tarts, jams,
jellies, syrups and cordials. The flavor
is very good. If planting a native
currant for fruit, this is the species to choose. Native Californians used the inner bark, dried
and pulverized or soaked in water, to treat skin infections and sores.
In
summary, Golden currant is a great native shrub that provides bright color
early in the year, attracts hummingbirds, native pollinators and fruit-eating
birds – and provides edible berries. We
hope you’ll consider planting it in your own backyard.
For a
gardening information sheet for Golden currant see: http://www.slideshare.net/cvadheim/gardening-sheet-ribes-aureum
For more
pictures of this plant see: http://www.slideshare.net/cvadheim/ribes-aureum-web-show
We
welcome your comments (below). You can
also send your questions to: mothernaturesbackyard10@gmail.com
