This species is treated as Ribes odoratum in the Flora of China[]. However, we are following the treatment in the Flora of N. America[].

Common Name: Buffalo Currant

General Information

Ribes aureum villosum is an erect, deciduous, loosely-branched shrub growing 100 - 300cm tall[, ]. The stems often arch outwards at their top[]. The plant spreads by suckers to form colonies[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine. Some forms with larger fruits are cultivated in North America and European Russia[]. The plant is sometimes grown as an ornamental, valued for its floral display[, ].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

N. America - Montana to Maine, south to New Mexico, Texas, Tennessee and Maryland

Habitat

Rocky bluffs and slopes, also along the sides of streams[]. Rocky slopes, sandy bluffs, shaded banks, prairies; at elevations from 100 - 1,900 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Shrub
Height	2.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Ribes aureum villosum is very cold hardy, when dormant it can tolerate temperatures falling to around -25°c[].
Easily grown in a moisture retentive but well-drained loamy soil of at least moderate quality[, ]. Grows best in humus-rich soiuls[]. Prefers full sun but it is quite tolerant of shade though it does not fruit so well in such a position[].
Occasionally cultivated for its edible fruit, there are some named varieties[]. The period of fruit ripening is unusually long[].
A very ornamental plant[]. The flowers are deliciously clove-scented[].
This species is closely allied to Ribes aureum[, ].
The plant fruits best on young wood. If fruit production is a concern, older, weakened and/or damaged branches should be removed to open up the bush and promote more abundant fruiting[].
The cultivar 'Crandall' has large edible fruits with a tart-sweet flavour that are high in pectin[]. 'Crandall' selected by R.W. Crandall from Kansas was introduced in 1888[].
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.
White pine blister rust, caused by the pathogen Cronartium ribicola, is a fungal disease that is native to Asia but has spread via human activity to many other regions, where it has become more virulent. It has a complex life-cycle that requires both currants (Ribes species) and white pines (Pinus species of the section Strobus) for the disease to spread. Whilst Ribes species can generally live with the disease (it has an annual life-cycle and infects the leaves only) Pinus species can be devastated by it (it becomes perennial and spreads through the tree). Young pines are far more susceptible than mature trees. In America the growing of certain Ribes species is banned in some areas in order to protect plantations of white pine species.
Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked[, , , ]. The quality varies from plant to plant, the best forms are sweet and make very pleasant eating[]. Though the yellowish-red or blackish berries are not very tasty, they are used for jams, jellies, juice etc[]. 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[].

Medicinal

A poultice of the plant has been applied to snakebites[].

Agroforestry Uses:

Plants can be grown as an informal hedge or screen[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

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, mid summer in a frame[, ].
Cuttings of mature wood of the current year's growth, preferably with a heel of the previous year's growth, late autumn to late winter 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.