Bloomipedia
Golden currant (Ribes aureum)
Photo: Tom Norton via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Golden currant

Ribes aureum

Native in the lower 48

Golden currant is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 6 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in February–June.

34states
6of our state lists
14,450U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Colorado, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah

Quick look

Ribes aureum, known by the common names golden currant, clove currant, pruterberry and buffalo currant, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Ribes native to North America.

  • It belongs to the Grossulariaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 34 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Colorado, Idaho, Utah, Montana, South Dakota and North Dakota. NatureServe
  • In Colorado, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–June. iNaturalist
  • In Idaho, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–June. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as yellow. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as mid spring. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 10 ft. USDA PLANTS
  • iNaturalist has 3,152 research-grade sightings of it in Colorado, ranking #44 among the 110 flowers on our Colorado list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 1,699 research-grade sightings of it in Idaho, ranking #5 among the 109 flowers on our Idaho list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 1,171 research-grade sightings of it in Utah, ranking #43 among the 109 flowers on our Utah list. iNaturalist

Golden currant gift ideas

Handmade golden currant gifts from independent makers.

🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.

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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (1,382 records)
Bloom time in each of our 6 states
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
ColoradoNativeMarch–June3,152
IdahoNativeMarch–June1,699
UtahNativeMarch–May1,171
MontanaNativeApril–June499
South DakotaNativeApril–June202
North DakotaNativefew records79

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
Colorado
No list Colorado has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Colorado ranks instead. NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Colorado.
Idaho
No list Idaho has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Idaho ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Idaho.
Utah
No list Utah has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Utah ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Utah.
Montana
No list Montana has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Montana ranks instead. NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Montana.
South Dakota
No list South Dakota's endangered and threatened list (ARSD 41:10:02) covers animals only, so we show NatureServe's South Dakota ranks for plants. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in South Dakota.
North Dakota
No list North Dakota has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's North Dakota ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in North Dakota.
Rare elsewhere
No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records golden currant in 34 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

Colorado counties with USDA records: Alamosa, Arapahoe, Archuleta, Baca, Bent, Boulder, Custer, Delta, Dolores, Douglas, Eagle, El Paso, Huerfano, Jefferson, Kit Carson, La Plata, Larimer, Las Animas, Lincoln, Logan, Mesa, Moffat, Montezuma, Montrose, Morgan, Otero, Prowers, Pueblo, Rio Blanco, Rio Grande, Saguache, Sedgwick, Teller, Weld, Yuma.

Idaho counties with USDA records: Ada, Adams, Bannock, Bear Lake, Bingham, Blaine, Boise, Bonner, Bonneville, Butte, Canyon, Caribou, Cassia, Clark, Custer, Elmore, Franklin, Fremont, Gem, Gooding, Idaho, Jefferson, Jerome, Latah, Lincoln, Madison, Nez Perce, Oneida, Owyhee, Payette, Power, Twin Falls.

Utah counties with USDA records: Beaver, Box Elder, Cache, Carbon, Daggett, Davis, Duchesne, Emery, Garfield, Iron, Juab, Kane, Millard, Morgan, Piute, Rich, Salt Lake, San Juan, Sanpete, Sevier, Summit, Tooele, Uintah, Utah, Wasatch, Washington, Wayne, Weber.

More Colorado flowers

Wax currant (Ribes cereum)

Wax currant

Ribes cereum

Native

🌼 Blooms in CO: April–June
Mountain gooseberry (Ribes montigenum)

Mountain gooseberry

Ribes montigenum

Native

🌼 Blooms: June–July
Great mullein (Verbascum thapsus)

Great mullein

Verbascum thapsus

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in CO: June–October

Sources