wax currant Grossulariaceae Ribes cereum Douglas symbol: RICE Leaf: Alternate, simple, deciduous, palmately lobed (3 to 5 lobes), some leaves have indistinct lobes, 1/2 to 2 inches long, irregularly round toothed; dark green above, fuzzy when young, paler and glandular hairy below; often the leaves are sticky. Flower: Species is monoecious; small, white to faint pink tubular flowers borne in late spring, singular or in short hanging clusters of a few flowers. Fruit: Orange-red, bright red to dark red, round, 1/4 to 1/2 inch berries in a hanging cluster, resin dotted, ripen in late summer. Twig: Moderately stout, stiff, red-gray and maybe short fuzzy to glandular when young, later turning light gray, no spines; reddish brown, pointed buds. Bark: Reddish-gray and finely peeling on larger stems. Form: Upright small shrub reaching to 5 feet, with an open crown. Looks like: stink currant - mapleleaf currant - red-flowering currant - sticky currant Additional Range Information: Ribes cereum is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. See states reporting wax currant. External Links: USDAFS Additional Silvics USDA Plants Database © Copyright 2016, Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, all rights reserved. Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson