Wax Currant
Ribes cereum
Shrub
Bloom
April — June
Color
White — Pale Pink
Height
36—60 inches
Spread
36—60 inches
Sun
Full sun to partial shade (4—6 hours)
Water
Low — drought tolerant once established
A Front Range native shrub for the spring-blooming role butterfly bush and lilac usually fill. Tubular white-to-pink flowers open early, when hummingbirds returning to Colorado need nectar most, and they give way to translucent red currants that birds strip quickly. The small scalloped leaves are faintly aromatic and turn rose-red in fall. Tough, compact, and content on rocky ground with almost no water once established.
Growing conditions
- Soil: Well-draining, rocky/sandy
- Sun: Full sun to partial shade (4—6 hours)
- Water: Low — drought tolerant once established
- Drought tolerance: Excellent
- Hardiness: Colorado native / adapted · USDA Zones 4–7
Wildlife & ecology
- Pollinator value: High — early nectar for hummingbirds and native bees, red fruit for birds
- Landscape use: Mixed shrub borders, hummingbird gardens, dry slopes, informal hedges, wildlife habitat.
Want Wax Currant in your yard?
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