This is one of the earliest blooming and showiest shrubs in the Pacific Northwest!  Red flowering currant is a very popular plant for a variety of reasons. The large clusters of pink-red flowers are loved by humans and birds and bees. The flowers do produce edible fruit, although not as choice as a European currant fruit.

Deciduous shrubs can grow to seven feet tall and responsd well to yearly pruning. They prefer a well drained soil and so can be planted on a raised mound or bed in a clay soil. They do well in full sun to part shade and can tolerate full shade although may not bloom as profusely.

Currants are a wonderful small fruited shrub that quickly grows to about 4 feet tall and continues layering and spreading horizontally.  They thrive in sun but also fruit well in partial shade.  They handle soil conditions all the way from heavy clay to sandy loam. We like to plant them in between fruit trees in an orchard or forest garden, as they feed pollinators early in the season, and once the taller trees grow, they are easy to transplant to a new location.

White currants are the sweetest, red the tartest, and black have an excellent unique flavor. It’s easy to tell black currants apart from the rest because the wonderful flavor of their fruit is also found in their leaves all season.  Clove currant has beautiful yellow flowers and fruit with an aromatic and sweetly tart flavor.