The buffalo currant (Ribes odoratum) is a deciduous shrub from the Grossulariaceae family. It is also known as clove currant, spice bush, missouri currant or golden currant. It is native to North America and Canada, and has naturalised in parts of Europe where it has escaped from domestic gardens.
It produces pretty yellow flowers in the spring which have the scent of cloves. The fruit is produced in the summer and is ripening now. Buffalo currant is attractive to bees, butterflies and birds.
Buffalo currant is easily grown from seed or cuttings. Fresh seed are best sown in the autumn. Dried seed will take around 60 days to germinate at around 2.2°C but germination is enhanced by scarification. Hardwood heel cuttings can be taken in the summer or autumn. The US Dept of Agriculture say that buffalo currant can reproduce vegetatively by rhizomes, sprouting after cutting and fire. They say it is rated mostly good in initial establishment, ease of planting and natural spread.
This shrub tolerates dry exposed sites, a range of soil types and can be used as a soil stabiliser. Unfortunately, it is a host of white pine blister rust (Cronartium ribicola) so has been eradicated from areas of America where the white pine is grown commercially. It is hardy to -25°C. Final size of the bush is around 2.5 m x 2.5 m. Named cultivars (e.g. 'Crandall') are available but we haven't seen much sign of them for sale in the UK.
The ripe black fruit is edible raw. It looks like a blackcurrant and can be 6-10mm in diameter. What we like about these fruit is that they are sweeter than blackcurrants so are easier on the stomach if eating raw in quantity (not that we've had them in quantity because the birds are getting there first). Fruit can be dried for later use. The flowers are also edible raw but we don't eat too many because we prefer the fruit. The leaves can be made into a tea or used to flavour food. The leaves seem to have the flavour of 'greens' which isn't very exciting and we feel that we should be getting more flavour than this for our money! As a point of interest, all Ribes genus produce edible fruit.
nb. the fruit can be cooked to produce jam and preserves.
New eBook coming soon
Raw Edible Flowers & Leaves contains over 250 plants with raw edible flowers and leaves. This ebook actually lists all the raw edible parts of each plant so is good value for money. All the plants can be grown in the temperate maritime climate of the British Isles as well as other areas of the world, including much of Europe and North America.
Available from mid-August onwards for Amazon Kindle. Price £2.50.
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| Buffalo Currant (R. odoratum) fruit ripening now |
It produces pretty yellow flowers in the spring which have the scent of cloves. The fruit is produced in the summer and is ripening now. Buffalo currant is attractive to bees, butterflies and birds.
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| Buffalo currant (R. odoratum) flowers |
How to grow
Buffalo currant is easily grown from seed or cuttings. Fresh seed are best sown in the autumn. Dried seed will take around 60 days to germinate at around 2.2°C but germination is enhanced by scarification. Hardwood heel cuttings can be taken in the summer or autumn. The US Dept of Agriculture say that buffalo currant can reproduce vegetatively by rhizomes, sprouting after cutting and fire. They say it is rated mostly good in initial establishment, ease of planting and natural spread.
This shrub tolerates dry exposed sites, a range of soil types and can be used as a soil stabiliser. Unfortunately, it is a host of white pine blister rust (Cronartium ribicola) so has been eradicated from areas of America where the white pine is grown commercially. It is hardy to -25°C. Final size of the bush is around 2.5 m x 2.5 m. Named cultivars (e.g. 'Crandall') are available but we haven't seen much sign of them for sale in the UK.
Raw edible parts
The ripe black fruit is edible raw. It looks like a blackcurrant and can be 6-10mm in diameter. What we like about these fruit is that they are sweeter than blackcurrants so are easier on the stomach if eating raw in quantity (not that we've had them in quantity because the birds are getting there first). Fruit can be dried for later use. The flowers are also edible raw but we don't eat too many because we prefer the fruit. The leaves can be made into a tea or used to flavour food. The leaves seem to have the flavour of 'greens' which isn't very exciting and we feel that we should be getting more flavour than this for our money! As a point of interest, all Ribes genus produce edible fruit.
nb. the fruit can be cooked to produce jam and preserves.
New eBook coming soon
Raw Edible Flowers & Leaves contains over 250 plants with raw edible flowers and leaves. This ebook actually lists all the raw edible parts of each plant so is good value for money. All the plants can be grown in the temperate maritime climate of the British Isles as well as other areas of the world, including much of Europe and North America.
Available from mid-August onwards for Amazon Kindle. Price £2.50.
My grandmother had a large patch of buffalo currants. They made wonderful jelly. The bush survives in Oklahoma, which is one tough climate.
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