Buffalo Currant
Ribes odoratum

Family: Grossulariaceae

What it is like

Ribes odoratum is a deciduous Shrub growing to 2.5 m (8ft) by 2.5 m (8ft). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in flower in April, and the seeds ripen from July to August. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.

Height (m): 2.5

Where it is found

Rocky bluffs and slopes, also along the sides of streams.

Central N. America - Saskatchewan and Minnesota, west to the Rockies and south to Texas.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 4

Fruit - raw or cooked. The quality varies from plant to plant, the best forms are sweet and make very pleasant eating. The fruit ripens from late July and can hang on the bush until early autumn. The fruit can also be dried for winter use. The fruit is about 10mm in diameter, though it is larger in some selected cultivars. Flowers - raw. A sweet taste. The leaves can be used to make a tea or as a flavouring in foods.

Condiment: the various plants that are used as flavourings, either as herbs, spices or condiments.

Tea: the various herb teas that can be used in place of tea, plus the genuine article.

Medicine

Rating: 1

a poultice of the plant has been applied to snakebites.

Antidote: Counters poisoning.

Other

Rating:

Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.

Scented Plants: Plants noted for their scent

How it is grown

Easily grown in a moisture retentive but well-drained loamy soil of at least moderate quality. Prefers full sun but it is quite tolerant of shade though it does not fruit so well in such a position. Hardy to about -25°c. A very ornamental plant. The flowers are deliciously clove-scented. This species is closely allied to R. aureum. Occasionally cultivated for its edible fruit, there are some named varieties. The period of fruit ripening is unusually long. The cultivar 'Crandall' has large edible fruits with a tart-sweet flavour that are high in pectin. This species succeeds in regions having hot summers. The fruits can be red, black, yellow, golden or reddish-brown. Plants often produce suckers, especially when growing in damp soils. Plants can harbour a stage of white pine blister rust, so should not be grown in the vicinity of pine trees. Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus. The plant is heat tolerant in zones 8 through 5. (Plant Hardiness Zones show how well plants withstand cold winter temperatures. Plant Heat Zones show when plants would start suffering from the heat. The Plant Heat Zone map is based on the number of "heat days" experienced in a given area where the temperature climbs to over 86 degrees F (30°C). At this temperature, many plants begin to suffer physiological damage. Heat Zones range from 1 (no heat days) to 12 (210 or more heat days). For example Heat Zone. 11-1 indicates that the plant is heat tolerant in zones 11 through 1.) For polyculture design as well as the above-ground architecture (form - tree, shrub etc. and size shown above) information on the habit and root pattern is also useful and given here if available. The plant growth habit is multistemmed with multiple stems from the crown. The root pattern is a heart root, dividing from the crown into several primary roots going down and out. The root pattern is suckering with new plants from underground runners away from the plant.

Propagating it: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a cold frame. Stored seed requires 3 months cold stratification at between 0 and 5°c and should be sown as early in the year as possible. Under normal storage conditions the seed can remain viable for 17 years or more. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in a cold frame for their first winter, planting them out in late spring of the following year. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 10 - 15cm with a heel, July/August in a frame. Cuttings of mature wood of the current year's growth, preferably with a heel of the previous year's growth, November to February in a cold frame or sheltered bed outdoors. Division of suckers in the dormant season. They can be planted out direct into their permanent positions.

Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade;

Habit: Shrub

Hardiness: 4-8

Growth:

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: Semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

R. aureum villosum. DC. R. aureum. non Pursh. R. fragrans. non Pall. R. longiflorum.