Flowering currant

Flowering currant (ribes sanguineum)

Flowering currant is often a garden plant and grows to a sizable shrub. This species of currant doesn’t produce many berries and is more recognised for its beautiful springtime flowers with a wonderful currant aroma. 

The flowers and the leaves have edible uses, both having a floral blackcurrant like flavour. I use the flowers as cake toppers and decorations but they’re also pretty in a salad and add great flavour. The flowers and leaves can be used for flavouring in such things as tea and syrups. My favourite thing is flowering currant gin. I sleep flowers and gin for about three weeks and then add a bit of sugar for flavour.

Identifying features for flowering currant

• A woody shrub that can reach up to 2m tall and just as wide

• The leaves are trefoils shape similar to that of a club on a deck of cards, but with pointed tips

• Leaves if you rub them have blackcurrant like sent

• The flowers are a beautiful pink colour, ranging from deep pink to pale, depending on the variety

• The flowers grow in drooping clusters. They look a little bit like grapes when they hang off the branches.

• If you do find a berry, they usually a purply blue colour

If you have all of these features, it’s likely you have flowering current

Lookalikes, flowering currant

Other current, such a black currant red currant or white currant