pink flowering currant ribes sanguineum

The Beautiful and Fragrant Pink Flowering Currant

The pink flowering currant (Ribes sanguineum) is a gorgeous deciduous shrub that puts on an eye-catching floral display in early spring. As soon as the dreariness of winter starts to fade, this beauty begins showing off its drooping clusters of pink flowers. Walking past a pink flowering currant when it’s in full bloom truly stops you in your tracks.

The pink flowering currant goes by several common names including red flowering currant, blood currant, and winter currant. But I think pink flowering currant is the most fitting common name since the many cultivated varieties showcase shades of light pink, bright pink, rose pink, and reddish pink.

This flowering shrub is native to the Pacific Northwest region of North America. It thrives in moist forests and along streams in areas with mild winters and cool summers. The pink flowering currant grows wild from British Columbia down to northern California.

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the pink flowering currant including its key features and cultivation needs. We’ll also overview some of the most popular pink flowering currant cultivars on the market.

Pink Flowering Currant Features

The pink flowering currant is a multi-stemmed, deciduous shrub growing 5-12 feet tall and wide. It has an upright, arching growth habit with branches that give it a rounded silhouette.

The bark starts out orangey-red when young. As it matures, it turns grayish-brown and peels away in strips. The stems are hairy and green colored.

The leaves are alternately arranged, lobed, and fragrant. When crushed, they give off a pleasant resinous scent. The foliage emerges light green in spring then darkens over the summer before turning lovely shades of gold, orange, and red in fall.

Pink Flowering Currant Flowers

This shrub’s main claim to fame is definitely its spring floral display. Starting in late winter or early spring, drooping clusters of flowers appear dangling along the bare branches. The tubular flowers feature 4-5 spreading petals in shades of pink, rose, crimson, or white depending on the variety.

You’ll find 10-30 individual blooms in each flower cluster. Over the course of the bloom season, the entire shrub will become covered in these showy, fragrant flowers. It’s an incredible sight!

The bright floral colors look stunning against the pink flowering currant’s bare branches in early spring. And the blooms provide an important early season source of nectar for pollinators like hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies.

Once pollinated, the flowers give way to small, round edible berries in summer. These berries ripen to a blue, purple, or black color. Songbirds relish the fruits.

Growing Pink Flowering Currants

Pink flowering currants need minimal care once established. But they do have a few key needs to thrive. Let’s take a look at how to grow pink flowering currant shrubs successfully.

Sun Exposure

For the heaviest bloom, plant pink flowering currants in a location with full sun. They can tolerate partial shade but won’t flower as prolifically. Give them at least 6 hours of direct sun per day. Morning sun is ideal.

Soil Needs

These flowering shrubs grow in a variety of soil types in the wild. They thrive in acidic, neutral or alkaline soil as long as it drains well. Amend clay and sandy soils with compost to improve drainage and water retention.

Watering

Pink flowering currants tolerate drought once their root systems are established. But they appreciate regular watering (1-2 inches per week) for the best growth and flowering. Water deeply and infrequently, rather than frequent light watering.

Fertilizer

Apply a general purpose, slow release shrub fertilizer in early spring before flowering. This will fuel growth and flower production.

Pruning

Do any necessary pruning immediately after the pink flowering currant finishes flowering. You can prune to shape, thin congested growth, or rejuvenate older plants. Avoid heavy pruning that removes more than 30% of the plant.

Pests and Problems

Pink flowering currants are relatively pest and disease resistant. Potential issues to watch for include:

• Currant borers
• Ribes root rot
• Leaf spot
• Powdery mildew
• Aphids

Hardiness

Pink flowering currants thrive in USDA plant hardiness zones 6-8. Select cold hardy cultivars if growing in zone 5. Provide protection from harsh winter winds in zone 5 and 6 gardens.

The Best Pink Flowering Currant Varieties

Many lovely pink flowering currant cultivars are available to home gardeners. Here are five of my favorite pick pink flowering currant varieties:

‘Pokey’s Pink’ – A compact shrub growing just 3-5 feet tall. It’s smothered in light pink blooms in early to mid spring.

‘King Edward VII’ – This variety has deep reddish-pink flowers on a compact, rounded form growing 5 feet tall and wide.

‘Pulborough Scarlet’ – One of the reddest flowering varieties. It has bright crimson blooms with white centers contrasting beautifully with the red stems.

‘White Icicle’ – A white flowering form with tubes of snowy white blooms dangling from red stems in early spring. It blooms up to 2 weeks before other currants.

‘Elk River Red’ – Dark red flowers on a large 8-10 foot tall shrub. One of the largest currant varieties available.

Using Pink Flowering Currants in the Landscape

There are so many creative ways to showcase pink flowering currants in your landscape. Here are a few ideas:

• Plant as a flowering backdrop to spring bulbs like tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths. The currant’s dangling blooms will perfectly complement the upright flowers of the bulbs.

• Feature pink flowering currants in mixed borders along with other spring-blooming shrubs like viburnums, spirea, and flowering quince.

• Plant as part of a native plant garden. Partner with other Pacific Northwest natives like vine maple, salal, bleeding heart, and sword fern.

• Use as an informal flowering hedge or screen to block unsightly views or delineate garden spaces.

• Include one or more in the landscape around decks, patios, and outdoor living areas so you can enjoy the beautiful spring blooms up close.

With its bright spring blossoms, fluffy flower clusters, sweet fragrance, and hardy nature, it’s easy to see why the pink flowering currant is such a valued garden shrub. Add one of these beauties to your yard this season and you’ll be richly rewarded with a fabulous floral display year after year.