woodland shrub
Golden currant
Ribes aureum
1 of 3Native to the Pacific Coast, the Southwest, and the Rockies and southern Canada
Saskatchewan to New Mexico, west to north-central Washington and California
- Light Full sun to part shade Sun tolerance
- Moisture Dry to moist Moisture preference
- Zones 3–10 Cold to heat range
- Bloom Apr–Jul Flowering time
- Height up to 10 ft to 3.0 m
- Life cycle Perennial Annual to perennial
In the garden
A woodland shrub for full sun to part shade and dry to moist soil. At up to 10 ft, it needs room in shade gardens and woodland edges. It shrugs off drought once established. Hardy in USDA zones 3–10.
Growing conditions
Light
Full sun Partial shade Full shade
Moisture
Dry Moist Wet
Hardiness zones
Find your zone:
Pollinators & wildlife
- Bees Eastern Carpenter Bee
also Brown-belted Bumble Bee, Two-spotted Bumble Bee, Yellow-faced Bumble Bee +26 more
Tricolored Bumble Bee, Black-tailed Bumble Bee, Bombus fervidus, Hunt's Bumble Bee, Fuzzy-Horned Bumble Bee, Two-form Bumble Bee, Black-and-gold Bumble Bee, Yellow-fronted Bumble Bee, Nevada Bumble Bee, Great Basin Bumble Bee, Carlin's Mining Bee, Prunus Miner Bee, Orange-legged Miner Bee, Anthophora crotchii, Meadow Parsnip Miner Bee, Porter's Miner Bee, Buff-tailed Bumble Bee, Tawny Mining Bee, Habropoda depressa, Violet Carpenter Bee, Habropoda cineraria, Foothill Carpenter Bee, Hairy-footed Flower Bee, Schuh's Miner Bee, Pacific Digger Bee, Southern Miner Bee - Butterflies Monarch
also Painted Lady, Anise Swallowtail, Two-tailed Swallowtail +1 more
Cynthia cardui - Hummingbirds Anna's Hummingbird
- Also visited by
- Beetles: Asian Lady Beetle
Butterflies that use this plant
Documented host and nectar records. Each links to a planting guide for that butterfly.
- Dainty sulphurnectar
- Monarch butterflynectar
- Painted ladynectar
Full plant details
Where it grows
- Habitat
- WoodlandThe wild plant community it grows in.
- Native range
- The Pacific Coast, the Southwest, and the Rockies and southern CanadaUnited States (17): AZ, CA, CO, ID, KS, MT, ND, NE, NM, NV, OK, OR, SD, TX, UT, WA, WY. Canada (2): AB, SK. Where it grows wild on its own, by state and province.
- Native distribution
- Saskatchewan to New Mexico, west to north-central Washington and CaliforniaThe same native range, usually more exact than the state list, and often noting where it has spread beyond it.
Growing conditions
- Light
- Full sun to part shadeHow much sun it takes, from full sun to full shade.
- Moisture
- Dry to moistThe soil dampness it prefers, from dry to wet.
- Hardiness zones
- USDA 3–10 · Canadian 2–9The cold-to-heat climate range it survives.
- Soil
- Moist to drier soilsThe soils it grows in naturally.
- Soil texture
- Light to heavy (sandy to clay)The soil grade it prefers, from sand to clay.
- Soil pH
- 6.0–8.0The acidity to alkalinity it tolerates (7 is neutral).
- Soil quality
- HighHow rich a soil it needs. Many natives prefer lean soil and flop in rich beds.
- Water use
- LowHow thirsty it is, a rough guide to how often to water.
- Drought tolerance
- HighRelative to plants of the same type and region, inferred from where it grows, not a days-without-water figure.
- Salinity tolerance
- NoneHow well it copes with salty soil, near roads or the coast.
- Lime (CaCO₃) tolerance
- HighHow well it copes with chalky, lime-rich soil.
Growth & form
- Height
- up to 10 ft (to 3.0 m)Typical mature height.
- Life cycle
- PerennialWhether it lives a single season (annual), two (biennial), or returns for years (perennial).
- Growth rate
- ModerateA relative ranking versus other plants of the same type (USDA), not an absolute rate.
- Shape
- ErectIts overall silhouette.
- Root depth
- 20+ in (51+ cm)How far the roots reach, a guide to drought resilience and transplanting.
Flowers, foliage & fruit
- Type
- ShrubWhat kind of plant it is.
- Bloom
- Apr–JulWhen it flowers.
- Flower color
- YellowThe bloom color, or colors.
- Toxicity
- None knownWhether any part is poisonous to people or pets.
Propagation & seed
- Cold stratification
- Required (cold, moist)Whether seed needs a cold, moist spell before it will germinate.
- Propagation
- Bare root, container, seedHow to start new plants.
- Seed
- ~0.3 million seeds per poundNotes on the seed and how to sow it.
- Seed spread rate
- SlowHow readily it self-sows. Slow or none means well-behaved, not a spreader.
- Seedling vigor
- HighHow strongly young seedlings establish.
- Vegetative spread
- RapidWhether it creeps outward or stays put in a clump.