Red Currant - Ribes rubrum
Erect shrub to 1.5 metres. Leaves generally 5 lobed and heart shaped at base, unscented or very slightly so, with reddish glands underneath. Flowers greenish-yellow, shallow cup-shape; more or less glabrous. 5mm in drooping racemes. Berries bright shiny red when ripe, but white berried forms of Red Currant also exist.
other currants
Hedgerows, wet woodland, stream banks.
April and May.
Deciduous.
Fairly frequent throughout Britain except the North of Scotland.
Surprisingly frequent away from gardens in Leicestershire and Rutland. In the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire it was found in 111 of the 617 tetrads.
Graham Calow
Dunton Bassett Quarry
16 July 2015
White currant variety
Graham Calow
Cambridge Road, Whetstone
08 July 2016
David Gould
Narborough Bog
14 April 2017
Graham Calow
Smithy Lane, Burbage
28 March 2017
leaves not strong scented when crushed
David Nicholls
Sheet Hedges Wood
02 May 2014
Graham Calow
Park Road, Cosby
08 July 2016
white currant variety
David Nicholls
Asfordby
28 June 2019
Leicestershire & Rutland Map
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Species profile
- Common names
- Red Currant
- Species group:
- Trees, Shrubs & Climbers
- Kingdom:
- Plantae
- Order:
- Saxifragales
- Family:
- Grossulariaceae
- Records on NatureSpot:
- 56
- First record:
- 27/05/2000 (MBNHS;Steve Woodward)
- Last record:
- 10/08/2023 (Nicholls, David)
Total records by month
% of records within its species group
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Latest images
Latest records
Saharima Roenisch
Knighton Park
09 April 2017
knighton spinney nature reserve
David Gould
Narborough Bog
14 April 2017
Saharima Roenisch
Knighton Park
09 April 2017
David Nicholls
Sheet Hedges Wood
02 May 2014
Graham Calow
Sapcote
23 April 2008
Graham Calow
Cotes De Val, Lutterworth A426
08 April 2021
Graham Calow
Smithy Lane, Burbage
28 March 2017
leaves not strong scented when crushed
David Nicholls
New Lount Nature Reserve
10 August 2023
Red Currant Aphid
The aphid Cryptomyzus ribis causes galls on the leaves of Currant species (Ribes). The galls take the form of raised thickened patches on the upper surface of leaves, these may be yellowish or red, the leaf often curls downwards. Hairy depressions below contain the aphids.