Clove currant

By Kim Willis These articles are copyrighted and may not be copied or used without the permission of the author.

When I moved into my house in Pontiac there was a rangy shrub by the back door growing in a very narrow spot between the sidewalk and the foundation.  It was a shrub I was unfamiliar with and I cut it back severely, I probably would have removed it but much of the root system was under cement.  Come the next spring I was glad I hadn’t.  (See, give new landscapes a year to surprise you.)  

In April when the forsythia bloomed the shrub bloomed too, rich golden flowers that filled the air with a spicy, clove-vanilla scent for weeks.  I was charmed by it, but it took several months to find a name for the plant.  (There was no internet then and I had to rely on local experts.)  I was pretty sure it was in the Ribes family but no one knew what species.  I eventually found the plants species name in a “wildflower” guide - clove currant, Ribes odoratum alternately  Ribes aureum var. villosum.

We transplanted a sucker from it to my mom’s yard, where it still is today.  I brought a piece of it to my new garden here although it didn’t “take” and I had to get another start of it some years later from my mother.  My plant is now well established.

Clove currants are shrubs native to Northeastern North America and south and west to Missouri.  Despite the craze for native plants, this one somehow doesn’t get planted as often as it should.  It may be because it is thought to be an alternative host for White Pine Blister Rust, a serious pine disease.  I have read alternate ideas about this, with some experts believing it is unlikely or less likely to transfer White Pine Blister Rust to pines, unlike some other currants.  It does occur naturally in the same habitats as white pine.

Our farm has white pine and there are many white pines in the area but White Pine Blister Rust doesn’t seem to be a problem here.  I have decided that because the plant is native, and the disease is not prevalent here I will continue to grow clove currant.  You may want to check with local tree experts or your County Extension before you plant clove currants on your property.

About the plant

Clove currants are hardy in planting zones 2-8.  They will grow in almost any soil, and in sun or in light or partial shade.  The clove currant is slightly more drought tolerant than other currants but does best with regular moisture.  Other common names include Golden Currant and Buffalo Currant.

The clove currant is covered in tiny golden yellow, trumpet shaped flowers in spring about the time forsythia blooms. Unlike forsythia the clove currant flowers smell delightful, with that spicy clove-vanilla scent and they perfume the spring air far from the plant.  They are attractive to spring butterflies and bees.

If clove currant flowers get pollinated they turn into round black berries that ripen in the fall.  They can be eaten fresh or turned into jams and jellies.  They have a sweet pleasant flavor, similar to other currants. Native Americans used them in pemmican.  Birds love them.

There is controversy as to whether clove currant is self-pollinating or not.  My bush in Pontiac was loaded with berries each fall.  However, I have never had berries develop on my plant here on the farm.  My mother has berries in some years and none in others.   I would suggest that those who want fruit plant several plants.  Other types of currants may be able to pollinate the plant also.

The leaves of clove currant are medium green to sometimes blue green.  They have three lobes, which in turn have several scallops, or lobes of their own.  The stems are thorn-less, the plant is multi-stemmed and gets 8-10 feet high in good conditions.  When left to grow naturally it’s an open, rather rangy plant but it responds well to pruning, which can make it denser and more compact and will control height.  Plants turn golden yellow in fall.

Pruning yearly in the fall is said to improve the next year’s fruit production.  If fruit production is the goal keep the oldest, heaviest stems pruned out- probably 3^rd or 4^th year stems and leave the younger stems.

Clove currant will sucker, but it’s not as invasive as some suckering plants.  Suckers can be dug up and planted elsewhere or cut down.  The plant will start fairly easily from cuttings or seeds also.  There is one cultivar or domesticated variety that I know of, and that’s ‘Crandall’ which dates to 1888.  It can be sometimes be found in garden catalogs.  Usually unnamed plants are for sale by native plant nurseries.

If you like native plants the Clove Currant would be excellent in the back of native gardens or at the edges of woodlands.  It can make a nice informal hedge if pruned regularly.  It has edible berries, which many people find attractive and is a good plant for pollinators and birds.  I think the plant deserves more attention than it gets.