Flower profile

Wax currant

Ribes cereum

Wax currant (Ribes cereum) is a shrub in the Grossulariaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly April–June across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Wax currant is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 4 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in April–June.

15states where USDA records it

4Bloomipedia state lists include it

12,637U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon

Quick look

Ribes cereum is a species of currant known by the common names wax currant and squaw currant; the pedicellare variety is known as whisky currant. The species is native to western North America.
From Wikipedia's article Ribes cereum, CC BY-SA 4.0.

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 15 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Colorado, Oregon, Nevada and Idaho. ^NatureServe
In Colorado, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–June. ^iNaturalist
In Oregon, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–June. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as white. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as early summer. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 3 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 3,544 research-grade sightings of it in Colorado, ranking #36 among the 160 flowers on our Colorado list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 2,575 research-grade sightings of it in Oregon, ranking #60 among the 184 flowers on our Oregon list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 541 research-grade sightings of it in Nevada, ranking #75 among the 132 flowers on our Nevada list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (881 records)

Bloom time in the 4 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Colorado	Native	April–June	3,544
Oregon	Native	April–June	2,575
Nevada	Native	few records (34)	541
Idaho	Native	few records (20)	445

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: S5, secure in Colorado.
Oregon: Not listed Not on Oregon endangered and threatened plants (OAR 603-073-0070). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Oregon. ^{OAR 603-073-0070}
Nevada: Not listed Not on Nevada fully protected plants, critically endangered (NAC 527.010). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Nevada. ^{NAC 527.010}
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.
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: OK (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

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 wax currant in 15 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming.

Colorado counties with USDA records: Alamosa, Archuleta, Baca, Boulder, Chaffee, Conejos, Costilla, Custer, Douglas, Eagle, El Paso, Elbert, Garfield, Gilpin, Grand, Gunnison, Huerfano, Jackson, Jefferson, Larimer, Las Animas, Logan, Mesa, Mineral, Moffat, Montrose, Otero, Park, Pueblo, Rio Blanco, Rio Grande, Routt, Saguache, Summit, Teller, Washington, Weld.

Oregon counties with USDA records: Baker, Clackamas, Crook, Deschutes, Douglas, Gilliam, Grant, Harney, Hood River, Jackson, Jefferson, Josephine, Klamath, Lake, Lane, Linn, Malheur, Morrow, Sherman, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, Wasco, Wheeler.

Nevada counties with USDA records: Carson City, Churchill, Clark, Douglas, Elko, Esmeralda, Eureka, Humboldt, Lander, Lincoln, Mineral, Nye, Pershing, Washoe, White Pine.

Growing conditions

USDA PLANTS gives Wax currant a high shade tolerance, high drought tolerance and low moisture use. It is rated for soil pH 6.5 to 7.5 and winter lows down to -23 °F.

Shade tolerance: High
Drought tolerance: High
Moisture use: Low
Soil textures it is adapted to: coarse, medium
Soil pH range: 6.5 to 7.5
Minimum temperature tolerated: -23 °F
Frost-free days needed (minimum): 300
Annual precipitation range: 13 to 35 inches
Minimum root depth: 12 inches
Salinity tolerance: None
Fertility requirement: Low
Growth rate: Rapid
Lifespan: Moderate
Active growth period: Spring and Summer
Fruit or seed: Red · Spring to Fall
Can be propagated by: bare root, container, corm, cuttings
Commercial availability: Routinely Available

From the USDA PLANTS characteristics data for RICE. USDA ratings are general guidance for the species, not a guarantee for your garden.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Canada: Native; Lower 48 states: Native.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 274 counties across 15 states; the most are in Colorado (37), Idaho (29), Montana (29).

Other Ribes on Bloomipedia (5): Red-flowering currant, Golden currant, Missouri gooseberry, Mountain gooseberry, Stink currant.

More Colorado flowers

Golden currant

Ribes aureum

Native

🌼 Blooms in CO: April–June

Great mullein

Verbascum thapsus

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in CO: July–October

Blue columbine

Aquilegia coerulea

★ CO state flowerNative

🌼 Blooms in CO: June–August

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile RICE.
iNaturalist, Ribes cereum: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Ribes cereum (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Colorado: Colorado noxious weed lists A, B and C (8 CCR 1206-2, eff. May 15, 2025).
Oregon: Oregon endangered and threatened plants (OAR 603-073-0070).
Oregon: Oregon noxious weed quarantine, A and B weeds (OAR 603-052-1200).
Nevada: Nevada fully protected plants, critically endangered (NAC 527.010).
Nevada: Nevada noxious weeds (NAC 555.010).
Idaho: Idaho noxious weeds (IDAPA 02.06.09, Section 220).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Ribes cereum (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
Photo: Anders Hastings via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.