Perfume Currant

Ribes bracteosum

• Hul’qumi’num Name: s’peetth
• Description: Fragrant, glandular deciduous shrub to 3m tall. The leaves have a maple-leaf shape, with deep lobes. Flowers are white in long, erect clusters, followed by berries.
• Habitat: Streambanks, swamps, seeps, and moist forested areas.
• Pair with: Salmonberry, osoberry, elderberry, red alder, and bigleaf maple.
• Fun Fact: This delightfully aromatic species was given the malodorous epithet ‘stink currant’ by early settlers, butits perfume makes it a wonderful addition to a wet area. The berries are savored by birds, and are worth sampling – sometimes they’re tasty!