Ribes viscosissimum

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Sticky currant (Ribes viscosissimum)

Ribes viscosissimum, or sticky currant, is a perennial shrub in the currant family native to western North America. It typically grows 1–2 meters tall. The stem is sticky due to glandular hairs and has no spines. Leaves are three-lobed with rough blades about 8 cm long and petioles up to 10 cm.

Flowers and fruit: In early summer it forms clusters of 4–15 bell-shaped flowers with pale whitish, green, or pink-tinged sepals that may bend back. The berries are blue-black, waxy-looking, and very gummy, about 1 cm long, and are not palatable.

Habitat and range: It lives in montane to lower subalpine areas, often along streams and in damp to dry woods, sagebrush plateaus, and rocky slopes. It is native to the Pacific Northwest, Columbia Plateau, Great Plains, Great Basin, and southwestern western North America. In the United States, it is found in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.

Pollinators: Bumblebees (various Bombus species) visit the flowers where their ranges overlap.

Conservation: The species is secure and common in much of its range, though abundance can vary locally.

Cultivation notes: For propagation from seed, harvest berries in autumn and sow after ripening. Cold-stratify stored seed at -2 to 0°C for about 3 months to improve germination; seeds can remain viable for many years. Seedlings benefit from a cold-frame setup during their first winter and transplanting in late spring. Cuttings can be taken in midsummer or late winter, using heel cuttings. The berries are not edible for humans.