Ribes sanguineum Seeds | Flowering Currant
LATIN NAME: Ribes sanguineum
COMMON NAME: Flowering Currant
Plant Profile
Flowering Currant (Ribes sanguineum) grows as a deciduous shrub in the gooseberry family, native to woodlands of the western north America, while it is grown as a treasured ornamental shrub. In gooseberry family it is early bloomer of clan, shrub that hangs its pink tassels out before most of garden has woken up. Mature plants top out at about Three metres. Its flowers draw a steady traffic of bees and other beneficial insects. It is the sort of plant that quietly justifies the space it occupies.
Science & Biotechnology
Botanists studying the gooseberry family regularly include Ribes sanguineum in comparative work, and the species also appears in horticultural trials aimed at gardeners and growers. Flowering currant belongs in spring-nectar studies of garden as one of the first generous sources of the season, and the bee researchers have watched the early foragers work its drooping heads of the tubular, rose-pink flowers. It is the kind of species that plant scientists reach for when they need reliable material for propagation and selection studies.
Uses & Benefits
Flowering Currant brings genuine presence to the garden and earns its keep across the growing season. In spring border, flowering currant is the first pink flush of the year. Its drooping heads of rose-pink, tubular flowers are an early source of nectar for bees and hummingbirds, its small, dark berries feed birds of summer, and dense, leafy growth gives cover and shelter. It makes a fine, easy shrub for many gardens of world, and it asks only for moist, well-drained ground and a place in the sun. Mature plants need little attention in a well-chosen position.
Currants and gooseberries are anthocyanin and vitamin-C treasures, blackcurrant being one of the most polyphenol-dense fruits studied, with its seed oil a GLA supplement; the leaves make a traditional spring tea.
Growing from Seed
Starting Flowering Currant from seed is simple and satisfying. Sow evenly over the surface and cover lightly into a loose, well-drained seed compost, water in gently, and keep the sowing in bright light with steady moisture. Shift the seedlings into small pots as soon as they can be handled, and give them bright light until planting-out time.
Our Take
Flowering Currant repays a little patience at sowing time with plenty of garden presence later.
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