ORANGE COUNTY ZOO

Photo courtesy of  Irvine Park Railroad
 

At the Zoo

Live Web Cameras

Animals at the Zoo

Plants at the Zoo

Zoo Information

Zoo hours, location, contact

Events, classes, programs

New at the Zoo

Volunteer opportunities

Support the Zoo

Membership

Adopt-an-Animal

Donation information

The Orange County Zoo is
owned and operated by the
County of Orange, California.


Web page produced by the
Orange County Zoological Society,
Copyright 2005.
 

Golden Currant
Ribes aureum

 

This six foot tall shrub, also known as buffalo currant and Missouri currant,  is native to the inland regions of the west, including the coastal ranges south to San Bernardino Mountains, Sierras and east. It was discovered by Captain Meriwether Lewis who found it on the headwaters of the Missouri and Columbia Rivers during the 1805 Lewis and Clark Expedition.

The light green leaves are complemented by the small bright yellow flowers with a spicy fragrance, which bloom from February to April. The berries turn from yellow to red to black from April to June.  The fruit is eaten by grouse, songbirds, coyotes, foxes, raccoons, squirrels, deer, elk and mountain sheep.


Native American Usage

The bark was used for leg swellings and sprinkled on sores. The berries were eaten fresh or dried for winter use.  Pemmican, a staple of the Indian diet, was made from dried currants by pounding them with meat and fat.  It was formed into loaves and cakes to be used when traveling.
 

Return to Plant list