Ribes odoratum
Common name: 
Golden Currant
Missouri Currant
Clove Currant
Buffalo Currant
Pronunciation: 
ri-BEEZ o-dor-A-tum
Family: 
Grossulariaceae
Genus: 
Ribes
Synonyms: 
Ribes aureum var. villosum
Type: 
Broadleaf
Native to (or naturalized in) Oregon: 
No
  • Deciduous multistemmed shrub, to 6-8 ft (1.8-2.4 m) tall, open, branches without bristles or thorns.  Leaves alternate, simple, broadly ovate, 3-6 cm long, 3.5-7 cm wide, 3-5 lobes, coarsely toothed, base truncate or wedge-shaped, green of both side, pubescent on veins below and above.  Flowers yellow, often with some red, 5-10 per cluster, fragrant (cloves), tubular, 12 mm long, 5 petals, 5 stamens, style white, 8-10 mm long.  Fruit globose, purple-black, 10 mm diameter.
  • Sun or part shade
  • Hardy to USDA Zone 4      Native range from North Dakota south to Texas, east to Minnesota and Arkansas
  • Often Ribes odoratum is now considered to be a botanical variety (var.) of R. aureum (R. aureum var. aureum), and named R. aureum var. villosum.
  • It is similar to Ribes aureum (possibly more commonly known as the Golden Currant), whose native range is from British Columbia east to Saskatchewan, south to western Nebraska, Colorado, and northwestern Texas, west to Los Angeles, California, and north to the eastern slopes of the Cascade Range.  A third variety, Ribes aureum var. gracillimum, syn. Ribes gracillimum, is native to California and into Mexico.
Click image to enlarge
  • plant habit, flowering in a hedgerow

    plant habit, flowering in a hedgerow

  • plant habit, flowering in a landscape

    plant habit, flowering in a landscape

  • leaves

    leaves

  • plant habit, summer in a hedgerow

    plant habit, summer in a hedgerow

  • developing fruit

    developing fruit

  • winter twigs and buds

    winter twigs and buds