Pink-flowering Currant grows best in partial shade; perfect in the summer-dry conditions of an oak woodland. Drooping racemes of pink to red flowers emerge just as the scented leaves unfurl in late winter or early spring. The plant has a tall vase-shaped form which lends itself to espaliering; it can also be pruned to a rounded shape. It is adaptable to many situations and not fussy about soils; with additional water it will tolerate full sun in all but the hottest areas.
Combine Ribes sanguineum with a shade loving Ceanothus such as ‘Ray Hartman’, which blooms at the same time, to create a lovely pastel picture. All the Ribes species are ideal shrubs in an oak woodland garden. Pink-flowering Currant can also be planted stream-side or in a mixed evergreen forest.
The flowers attract hummingbirds, and berries produced in the fall are favored by songbirds. The berries are edible, though not tasty; native peoples harvested and dried the fruits to make a type of “pemmican“.