I have a Golden Currant growing not far from my potager, on the wild side of my fence. I noticed it last fall when it turned a gorgeous red not matched by my Sumacs. It lived through the winter and mule deer predation, and might bloom soon. I took a photo, though, because someone took a chunk out of it already
Golden Currant (Ribes aureum)
Not very big yet, it might get 6 feet tall. This is one of my beautiful natives, quite flashy when it is covered by yellow tubular flowers and being dive bombed by hummingbirds. This one is close enough to my potager to entice hummingbirds to eat insect pests from my garden.
Golden Current (Ribes aureum)
This photo shows the missing piece and a tiny bloom coming out. Once it gets big enough to bloom profusely, I will likely smell the spicy clove-vanilla scent from the potager as well. The scent is heady and potent for quite a distance. The scent evokes woodland forests to me, and I will eventually collect flowers for my personal perfume.
The berries are a big draw to wildlife and me. Tart and flavorful, add sugar to make perfect preserves and pies. Golden Currant makes a refreshing fruit drink for summer.
This native edible is known in most of North America but many were eradicated because of White Pine Blister Rust. It is the most drought tolerant of the currants, easily surviving on my 16″ average rain per year. Water conservation means relying heavily on native species.
Meanwhile, I will likely find more uphill, and enjoy this volunteer Golden Currant just outside my potager.
treeseeddreaming 