Bloomipedia
Wax currant (Ribes cereum)
Photo: Anders Hastings via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Wax currant

Ribes cereum

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 March–June.

15states
4of our state lists
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.

  • 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 March–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 110 flowers on our Colorado list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 2,575 research-grade sightings of it in Oregon, ranking #59 among the 110 flowers on our Oregon list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 541 research-grade sightings of it in Nevada, ranking #75 among the 110 flowers on our Nevada list. iNaturalist

Wax currant gift ideas

Handmade wax 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”) (881 records)
Bloom time in each of our 4 states
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
ColoradoNativeApril–June3,544
OregonNativeMarch–June2,575
NevadaNativeApril–June541
IdahoNativeApril–June445

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.

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.

More Colorado flowers

Red-flowering currant (Ribes sanguineum)

Red-flowering currant

Ribes sanguineum

Native

🌼 Blooms: February–May
Golden currant (Ribes aureum)

Golden currant

Ribes aureum

Native

🌼 Blooms in CO: March–June
Great mullein (Verbascum thapsus)

Great mullein

Verbascum thapsus

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in CO: June–October

Sources