Ribes odoratum H.L. Wendl.

Golden Currant

© SRTurner

Family - Grossulariaceae

Habit - Shrub, to about 2 m high.

Stems - Bark smooth to somewhat scaly, often peeling or shredding in narrow papery strips, gray to reddish brown.

	Stem and nodes.
© SRTurner

Leaves - Alternate, often appearing fascicled at the tips of short shoots. Petioles 1.5-5.0 cm long, glabrous or with sparse minute nonglandular hairs and/or longer capitate-glandular hairs. Leaf blades 1-5 cm long, broadly triangular-ovate to nearly circular in outline, the lobes mostly sharply pointed at the tip, broadly narrowed to truncate at the base, the margins entire to coarsely and mostly simply toothed, the upper surface glabrous, the undersurface glabrous or occasionally sparsely and minutely nonglandular-hairy.

	Leaves.
© SRTurner

	Leaf adaxial.
© SRTurner

	Leaf abaxial.
© SRTurner

	Pressed leaves.
© DETenaglia

Inflorescence - Racemes with 3-10 flowers. Flower stalks 3-8 mm long, jointed toward the tip.

	Inflorescences.
© SRTurner

	Inflorescences.
© SRTurner

Flowers - Hypanthium narrowly cylindrical, the tubular portion above the ovary 12-16 mm long, bright yellow. Sepals 3-6 mm long, oblong-ovate, bright yellow, glabrous. Petals 2.0-3.5 mm long, yellow to bright red. Ovary glabrous.

	Flowers.
© SRTurner

	Hypanthia.
© SRTurner

	Corollas.
© SRTurner

Fruits - Smooth globose berries 7-9 mm long, globose, glabrous, without prickles, yellow to greenish yellow, becoming black at maturity.

Flowering - April - May.

Habitat - Ledges and tops of bluffs; also roadsides and railroads. Sometimes cultivated.

Origin - Native to the U.S.

Lookalikes - Could be mistaken for other species of Ribes when not flowering.

Other info. - This species is uncommon in Missouri, begin found naturally in only a few counties in the western Ozarks. It is also cultivated, so plants may sometimes be found at old homesites. It is far more common to our west, and is common in nearly every state from the Plains westward. When in bloom it is impossible to miss, as the masses of bright yellow flowers are both showy and fragrant. The aroma is responsible for the specific epithet, and was described by Steyermark as resembling a combination of the spiciness of cloves and the sweet fragrance of carnations, especially in the afternoon.

The edible fruits of this species were eaten by settlers and and natives. They are, however, full of seeds.

Another name for the species is Ribes aureum, a reference to the golden color of the flowers and fruits.

Photographs taken at the Kansas City Zoo, 6-29-99 (DETenaglia); also near Hyannis, Grant County, NE, 5-9-2025 (SRTurner).