American Black Currant

American Black Currant
Ribes americanum

Currants and Gooseberries are the same genus, Ribes.  The simple way to tell them apart is that Gooseberries have prickers on the stems and Currants do not.

This plant was growing on my property in a low peaty area near the woods.  They are said to favor wetter soils.  The berries are delicious and many animals, including humans, love to eat them.  I haven't tried the American Black Currant, although I do have a number of Red Currant (Ribes sativum) bushes growing in my garden and the berries have a lot of flavor.  If I can get to them before the critters do, I'll give the wild ones a try.



The leaf looks a lot like a gooseberry leaf