Ribes aureum var. gracillimum, Golden Currant

Golden Currant

A California native shrub that can reach a height of up to six feet tall and wide.  Yellow flowers bloom in the winter through spring.  The flowers are fragrant and smell like vanilla or cloves.  Edible yellow black berries are edible.  This shrub goes deciduous in the winter, from December to February.  It is best to prune after flowering, the plant can be pruned at any time during the year as well.

Plant with: other woodland plants such as Oaks (Quercus species), Ninebark (Physocarpus capitatus), Mock Orange (Philadelphus lewisii), Western Spice Bush (Calycanthus occidentalis), Creek Dogwood (Cornus sericea), Meadow Rue (Thalictrum fendleri), Snowdrop Bush (Styrax officinalis), Yellow Monkeyflower (Mimulus guttatus), Western Azalea (Rhododendron occidentale), and Huckleberry (Vaccinum ovatum).

- Part shade

- Water twice a month once established

- Tolerates most soils

- Great companion plant under evergreen oaks

- Attracts hummingbirds, birds, butterflies, and bees

- Deer resistant

- Hardy up to -30 degrees

- Native to California