Overview
The Red Flowering Currant (Ribes sanguineum) is one of the most breathtaking heralds of spring along the Pacific Coast of North America. Bursting into spectacular bloom in early spring long before most deciduous shrubs have developed leaves, this handsome multi-stemmed shrub adorns coastal forest edges with magnificent, pendulous racemes of glowing rose-pink to deep ruby-red blossoms that provide the primary fuel for migrating hummingbirds.
Biology and Physical Characteristics
Ribes sanguineum features erect, multi-branched stems covered in dark greyish-brown bark. Its palmately lobed, crinkled leaves emerge with 3 to 5 rounded lobes, releasing a wonderfully resinous, spicy-sweet fragrance when brushed or crushed. From March to May, it produces drooping, dramatic floral clusters (racemes) of 10 to 30 tubular, five-petaled blossoms ranging from soft pink to intense deep crimson, followed by waxy, blue-black berries coated in whitish bloom.
Behavior and Ecology
An ecological lifeline for early-spring pollinators, the blooming of the Red Flowering Currant coincides precisely with the northward migration of Rufous Hummingbirds, serving as their most critical nectar source along the Pacific Flyway. Later in the season, its dark berries feed robins, towhees, and small mammals, while its dense branching structure offers sheltered nesting cover.
Conservation and Human Impact
Assessed as Least Concern globally, Ribes sanguineum is abundant throughout coastal Washington, Oregon, and northern California. Highly celebrated in horticulture since David Douglas introduced it to Europe in 1826, it is an international award-winning garden shrub prized for its drought tolerance and spectacular early spring floral show.
Interesting Factoid
The blooming of the Red Flowering Currant is nature’s alarm clock for Rufous Hummingbirds: these tiny birds time their 3,000-mile spring migration from Mexico to Alaska to follow the blossoming wave of this pink shrub up the Pacific Coast.