Ribes aureum, known by the common names golden currant, clove currant, pruterberry and buffalo currant, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Ribes native to North America.
Description The plant is a small to medium-sized deciduous shrub, tall. The leaves are long, green, semi-leathery, with 3 or 5 lobes; they turn red in autumn.
The plant blooms in spring with racemes of conspicuous golden yellow flowers, often with a pronounced, spicy fragrance similar to that of cloves or vanilla. Flowers may also be shades of cream to reddish, and are borne in clusters of up to 18.USDA Species Profile The shrub produces berries about in diameter from an early age. The ripe fruits are amber yellow to black. Those of variety villosum are black.
Taxonomy The species belongs to the subgenus Ribes, which contains other currants such as the blackcurrant (R. nigrum) and redcurrant (R. rubrum), and is the sole member of the section Symphocalyx.
Varieties Ribes aureum var. aureum: below in the western U.S.Jepson Manual treatment for Ribes aureum var. aureum Ribes aureum var. gracillimum: below in the California Coast RangesJepson Manual treatment for Ribes aureum var. gracillimum Ribes aureum var. villosum – clove currant (syn: Ribes odoratum); native west of Mississippi River, but naturalized further to the east
Distribution and habitat Ribes aureum is native to Canada and the central United States west of the Mississippi River, but has escaped cultivation and naturalized in the eastern United States.
It can be found around gravel banks and plains around flowing water.
Ecology
Pollinators of the plant include hummingbirds, butterflies and bees. The fruit is eaten by various birds and mammals.
This currant species is susceptible to white pine blister rust (Cronartium ribicola), a fungus which attacks and kills pines, so it is sometimes eradicated from forested areas where the fungus is active to prevent its spread.
Cultivation R. aureum is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant, in traditional, native plant, drought tolerant, and wildlife gardens, and natural landscaping projects.Las Pilitas Nursery horticultural treatment: Ribes aureum . accessed 1.30.2013 Named cultivars have been also introduced.
Although the flowers are hermaphroditic, the yield is greatly benefited by cross-pollination.
Uses The fruits are edible raw, but are very tart or bitter. They are usually cooked with sugar and can be made into jelly. The flowers are also edible.
The berries have been used for food, and other plant parts for medicine, by various Native American groups across its range in North America.University of Michigan (Dearborn): Ethnobotany
References
External links
Jepson Manual Treatment – Ribes aureum United States Department of Agriculture Plants Profile: Ribes aureum (golden currant) University of Washington, Burke Museum Line drawing for Flora of Pakistan