Toxic Plant Known to be toxic - Toxic to dogs and cats if ingested.
Image of Ribes americanum
Source: OWSL
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Plant Names

image of Vine
Ribes americanum
American Black Current
Gadellier d’Amérique

Synonyms

wild black currant
gadellier américain
gadellier de la Floride

Plant Characteristics

Bloom Colour: White Bloom Period: May - May
Max Height: 5.0 feet
Max Width: 5.0 feet (spreads by rhizome)
Light Condition:
Full sun More than 6 hours of direct sun a day
Part shade More than 2 or 3 hours but less than 6 hours of direct sun a day
Soil conditions:
Moisture wet Tolerates wet soil condition
Lifespan: Perennial plants that will come back year after year
Gardener Experience:
beginner friendly Suitable for beginner gardeners
does not spread Does not spread uncontrollably
plant spread by rhizome Spreads by rhizome
plant germinate easy Easy to germinate
plant self seeding Self-seeding
Landscape Uses:
school garden Suitable for school gardens
hedge Can be used as a hedge
Ecological Benefits: No ecological benefits information available.
Tolerates:
Juglone Tolerant Tolerates juglone conditions
Transplantation Tolerant Tolerates transplantation
Special Features and Considerations:
causes skin rashes This plant causes skin rashes

Seed and plant distribution status

No seeds available for this plant.
We currently accept seeds for this plant

Plant Location

Native to Ottawa region: Yes

Distribution according to VASCAN

Distribution: Ribes americanum
Ephemeral Native Introduced Excluded Extirpated Doubtful Absent

Thrives in Ecozones

  • Taiga Plains
  • Atlantic Maritime
  • Boreal Plains
  • Montane Cordillera
  • Prairies
  • Boreal Shield
  • Mixed Wood Plains

Ecological Benefits

Butterflies Supported by Ribes americanum

Specialized Bees Supported by Ribes americanum

No bee data available for this plant.

Complementary Plants

  • No complementary plants found.

Substitute For Non-Native Plants

  • Rubus (Non-native Raspberries)

Sowing Information

Download Seed Envelope Labels (PDF)
  • Sowing depth: Surface sow
  • Sow by January
  • Stratification duration: 90 days
  • Self-seeding
  • Notes: Double dormancy needed. Scarification needed if not winter sowing.

Harvesting and Seed Sharing

  • Harvest start month: July
  • Harvesting indicator:
    • Berries are ripen and easily fall off or have fallen off
  • Harvesting:
    • Squeeze berries to extract seeds, wash with soapy water, rinse throroughly
  • Seed viability test:
    • No test needed before donating
  • Packaging measure: A dozen (12) seeds (eyeball)
  • Seed storage:
    • Air dry in paper bag or open container, for a few days until crisp
    • Shake seeds to move them once in a while to prevent molding
  • Cultivar: No, you can donate without knowing the source as there are only straight species
  • Harvesting video: Watch here

Toxicity Notes

Toxic to dogs and cats if ingested.