Ribes bracteosum aka Stink Currant

Ribes bracteosum is a deciduous shrub in the currant family. Its common names include stink currant and Californian blackcurrant. It grows wild from southern Alaska to northern California. Its range includes British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon. It grows beside streams and in damp woods, often near seepages. These wet, shaded sites help explain its garden needs.

This upright, bushy shrub has no thorns or spines. Garden plants reach about 8–13 feet (2.5–4 m) tall and wide. The RHS describes a usual height near 10 feet (3 m). Virginia Tech places most plants below 12 feet (3.7 m). Round stems have green to brown bark with yellow glands. These glands give off a sweet, skunky, or catlike scent. The green leaves have five to seven deep lobes. They look like maple leaves and grow on long stalks. Their undersides bear sparse hairs and yellow glands. Crushed leaves have a strong, unpleasant smell.

Flowers appear in late spring on long, narrow, upright clusters. Each cluster can reach about 1 foot (0.3 m) long. The RHS calls the flowers greenish-yellow; Virginia Tech describes them as white. Small, round berries follow along these long clusters. They turn blue-black and carry a pale, waxy coating. Plants For A Future reports that fruit ripens in September. The fruit's taste varies, so its food value has limits.

Choose a cool site with moist soil and some shelter. The RHS lists both full shade and part shade. It accepts sand, loam, clay, and chalk across a broad pH range. Soil may drain well or remain poorly drained. Stream banks, damp woodland, and bog gardens suit its needs. It also fits informal gardens and gardens planned for wildlife. The RHS rates it H7; Plants For A Future lists USDA zones 6–9. Plants reach full size in five to ten years. They need no routine pruning. Raise new plants from seed or winter hardwood cuttings.

Watch for aphids, gall mites, and gall midge. Leaf spot, powdery mildew, honey fungus, and coral spot may occur. The berries can be eaten raw, cooked, or dried. They have a mild blackcurrant taste but can seem mealy and bitter. Use them in pies, preserves, or jam. Large servings may upset the stomach despite no other known hazards. Reports of past medicinal use include stem infusions for colds. Such records do not establish that these treatments work.