# golden currant (*Ribes aureum*) Golden currants are sweet, small berries that grow on bushes. They are bright yellow to golden in color and can be found in many gardens and wild areas. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 5 - **Habitat:** Forests and gardens - **Also known as:** Buffalo Currant, Golden Gooseberry ![golden currant](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Ribes_aureum_var_aureum_4.jpg&width=800) Photo: Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ribes_aureum_var_aureum_4.jpg) ## Appearance The golden currant is a medium-sized deciduous shrub with clusters of bright yellow, trumpet-shaped flowers. Its lobed leaves resemble small maple leaves and often turn reddish in fall. The berries mature from yellow to orange, red, and finally to a dark purplish-black. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Saxifragales - **Family:** Grossulariaceae - **Genus:** Ribes ## Interesting facts - Hummingbirds love to sip nectar from its trumpet-shaped flowers. - Its bright yellow flowers smell deliciously like cloves! - Native Americans used these berries for food and even dyes! - The berries change color from yellow to dark purple as they ripen. ## Special abilities - **Drought Master:** Golden currant can grow deep roots that help it find water in dry soils, allowing it to thrive where other plants struggle. - **Early Nectar Beacon:** Golden currant has sweet-smelling yellow flowers that bloom early in spring, providing vital nectar for hungry pollinators. - **Tasty Seed Spreader:** Golden currant produces juicy, edible berries that attract birds and other animals, helping to spread its seeds far. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 100-300 cm - **Spread:** 100-250 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.5-1.5 cm - **Bloom Season:** Spring to early summer - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** Honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Drinks nectar from its flowers - **Pollinates:** [Black-chinned Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-chinned-hummingbird) (*Archilochus alexandri*) — Feeds on nectar from its blossoms - **Eaten by:** [American Robin](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-robin) (*Turdus migratorius*) — Eats the ripe, dark berries - **Eaten by:** American Black Bear (*Ursus americanus*) — Forages on the fruit clusters ## Traits - [Deciduous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/deciduous): Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons. - [Shrub](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shrub): A shrub is a woody plant smaller than a tree, typically with multiple stems branching from or near the ground. - [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spring-blooming): Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth. - [Fruit Bearing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fruit-bearing): Fruit-bearing plants produce fruits, which are the mature ovaries of flowering plants containing seeds. - [Medicinal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/medicinal): Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always ask an adult before picking or eating wild berries. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify golden currant? Compare how the fruit is clustered, the leaves and their arrangement, the stems and any thorns. Red, blue and black fruits grow on lots of unrelated plants, and the same color can show up on both edible and poisonous species. Berry Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is golden currant? 100-300 cm ### How wide does golden currant spread? 100-250 cm ### How big are the flowers on golden currant? 0.5-1.5 cm ### When does golden currant bloom? Spring to early summer ### Is golden currant edible? Yes ### Is golden currant toxic? None ### What is golden currant's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Telluride Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/telluride-historic-district) — Colorado, US · Historic District - [Sierra Safari Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/sierra-safari-zoo) — Nevada, US · Zoo - [Cherry County Courthouse](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cherry-county-courthouse) — Nebraska, US · Historic Site - [Julia Davis Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/julia-davis-park) — Idaho, US · Park - [Nine Mile Dam](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/nine-mile-dam) — Washington, US · Historic Site - [Old Town Pasadena](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/old-town-pasadena) — California, US · Historic District [View all places to see golden currant](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/golden-currant) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Golden Currant: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/golden-currant)