American Black Currant

Ribes americanum

Pollinator Value

🐛 Larval Host: Polygonia faunus (Green Comma), Polygonia progne (Gray Comma), Hyalophora cecropia (Cecropia Moth), Nematocampa limbata (Filament Bearer)
S14 Nearctic records; S10 Polygonia faunus + P. progne confirmed on Ribes americanum; S3 confirms P. progne + Automeris io
🐝 Specialist Bee Host: Andrena nivalis
S10 oligolectic bee on Ribes americanum (Graenicher 1907; Wilhelm & Rericha 2017)
❄️ Winter Food Source: Ribes berries are consumed by American Robin, Hermit Thrush, Eastern Bluebird, Pine Grosbeak, Red-eyed Vireo, and Sharp-tailed Grouse among others. However, USDA reports fruit persistence as low, so berries are primarily a late-summer and fall food resource rather than a true winter-persistent source. Chipmunks, raccoons, and black bears also forage on the fruit.
S57 12 bird species; S10 mammals include Raccoon, Black Bear, White-footed Mouse; S11 Fruit/Seed Persistence=No

Proximity Score: 0
Native Status: ✅ Outaouais ✅ Ottawa ✅ QC ✅ ON
Closest Direction: Local
CEC Eco-Regions: 5 – Northern Forests, 5.2 – Mixed Wood Shield, 5.2.3 – Algonquin/Southern Laurentians
Rarity Notes: Secure in Ontario (S5) but vulnerable in Quebec (S3). Not SARA-listed. The Quebec vulnerability likely reflects historical eradication campaigns targeting Ribes as alternate hosts of white pine blister rust (Cronartium ribicola), which reduced wild populations. Globally ranked G5 (Secure) with a Canadian national rank of N5.
S22 G5, N5, rank_on=S5, rank_qc=S3; S26 not SARA-listed; S61 eradication history
Rarity Ranks: QC S3 – Vulnerable, ON S5 – Secure
Migration: Stable
Ecological Context: American black currant occupies moist to wet deciduous forests, swamp margins, floodplains, streambanks, and thickets across the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence region. In the Ottawa-Gatineau area it is common in riparian corridors and saturated hardwood swamps, often beneath Acer saccharinum, Fraxinus nigra, and Ulmus americana canopy. It is an alternate host for white pine blister rust, which has led to historical eradication campaigns reducing its abundance.
S63 Common both sides; S7 moist forests, swamps, cedar swamps, streambanks; S10 swamps, fens, seeps, streambanks; S61 alternate host for white pine blister rust

Roles: Fortress/Barrier, Insectary Plant, Pollinator Attractor, Shelterbelter, Wildlife Habitat
S73/S29/S72 Evidence: Fortress/Barrier: S10 keyword match: prickl (supporting signal only); S61 keyword match: thorns? (supporting signal only)] | Insectary Plant: S72 Hemenway (tables: 10-1, appendix_a, pp. 149, 186); S64 NPPBI 'beneficial insects' flag] | Pollinator Attractor: S73 [HIGH]: S64 Xerces listed (source-classified)] | Shelterbelter: S72 Hemenway (tables: 10-1, appendix_a, pp. 149, 186)] | Wildlife Habitat: S72 Hemenway (tables: 10-1, appendix_a, pp. 149, 186)]
Notes: Hemenway lists Ribes (currant) as a shrub-layer guild component for hedgerows, insectary function, and wildlife habitat. PFAF recommends woodland garden sunny edge or dappled shade placement. The multistemmed, suckering habit and juglone tolerance make it versatile in mixed-species plantings, though its role as an alternate host for white pine blister rust means it should not be sited near five-needled pines.
S72 hedgerow, insectary, wildlife_habitat; S29 woodland garden; S3 juglone tolerant; S61 blister rust

Category: Gynecological Aid, Kidney Aid, Anthelmintic, Dermatological Aid, Antiemetic, Orthopedic Aid
S28 Moerman categories; S29 PFAF medicinal uses
Notes: Root decoctions used by Blackfoot and Omaha for kidney ailments, and by Blackfoot and Winnebago women for uterine troubles. Iroquois applied bark poultices to swellings and took compound infusions for back pain, vomiting, and as an antidote. Meskwaki used root bark to expel intestinal worms. Ojibwa used root and bark for unspecified medicinal purposes.
S28 13 medicinal uses across Blackfoot, Iroquois, Meskwaki, Ojibwa, Omaha, Winnebago; S29 kidney, anthelmintic, uterine

✅ Edible ✅ Commonly Eaten

Foraging Notes: Berries eaten fresh or dried by Chippewa, Ojibwa, Iroquois, Lakota, Meskwaki, and other nations. Iroquois made dried fruit cakes soaked in warm water as sauce or mixed with corn bread. Ojibwa cooked wild currants with sweet corn as a winter dish and made jams and preserves. Flavour reports vary from esteemed to watery and insipid raw, but berries are generally palatable cooked in jellies, pies, and wine. Fruit up to 10 mm diameter, high in sugars.
S28 17 food uses; S29 jellies, jams, pies, dried; S10 jelly, wine, pie; S61 high in sugars