Ribes hudsonianum Richardson
northern blackcurrant (northern black currant)
Grossulariaceae (Currant family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

Photograph

© Adolf Ceska     (Photo ID #5732)


Map

E-Flora BC Static Map

Distribution of Ribes hudsonianum
Click here to view the full interactive map and legend

Species Information

General:
Deciduous shrub, loosely branched, 0.5-2 m tall; stems erect, unarmed, sprinkled with yellow glands; bark sparsely bristly, glandular.
Leaves:
Alternate, mapleleaf-shaped, heart-shaped at the base, 2-12 cm wide, 3-lobed less than half their length, also with two lower, smaller unequal lobes, usually yellowish-glandular and glabrous or hairy, coarsely double-toothed; stalks about equal to or slightly longer than the blades.
Flowers:
Inflorescence of 6-15 flowers in a spreading to erect raceme shorter than the leaves; flower stalks 3-8 mm long, jointed below the flowers; petals white, 1-1.2 mm long, oblong; hypanthium somewhat saucer-shaped and widely flared, 1-1.5 mm long; calyces white, more or less densely crisp-hairy; styles hairy, about equaling the stamens.
Fruits:
Berries, nearly round, black and more or less glaucous, 7-12 mm long, glabrous or with unstalked glands.
Notes:
Two varieties occur in BC:

1. Plants hairy (over the entire lower leaf surface and usually also above); ovaries often glandless; plants common throughout C and E BC...................... var. hudsonianum

1. Plants glabrous to slightly hairy (on the young stems, stalks and veins of lower leaf surface); ovaries glandular; plants common in S BC......................... var. petiolare (Dougl.) Jancz.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

USDA Species Characteristics

Flower Colour:
White
Blooming Period:
Late Spring
Fruit/Seed characteristics:
Colour: Black
Present from Spring to Summer
Source:  The USDA

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Ribes hudsonianum

The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)

Site Information
Value / Class

Avg

Min

Max

Elevation (metres)
981 5 1876
Slope Gradient (%)
9 0 78

Aspect (degrees)
[0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W]

275 0 360
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
[0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic;
8 - hydric]
5 1 8
Modal Nutrient Regime
Class
D
# of field plots
 species was recorded in:
436
Modal BEC Zone Class
SBS

All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in

BG(2), BWBS(58), CWH(4), ESSF(41), ICH(60), IDF(69), MS(44), PP(5), SBPS(27), SBS(105), SWB(10)

Habitat and Range

Wet to moist woodlands, forests, streambanks, and rocky slopes in the montane and subalpine zones; common throughout S, C and E BC; N to AK, YT and S NT, E to NF and S to VT, MN, WY and CA.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia