Black Currant (Wild)

The Wild Black Currant likes moist, open woods and can be found in boreal regions including the US and Canada (Okoli, n.d.).  It grows to about 5 feet tall and 3 feet wide and can live for 30 years (Connon nurseries, 2020).

Wild Black Currant bears greenish white flowers and sweet, black fruit.  Its leaves grow all the way to the ground, so it is used by gardeners as a hedge (Connon Nurseries, 2020).  It loses its leaves in the winter.

The leaves are food for caterpillars (to turn into butterflies) and for fruit flies.  The berries are eaten by birds, squirrels, foxes, and deer. (Okoli, n.d.)

The Wild Black Currant (Ribes americanum) is related to the Wild Gooseberry (Ribes uva-crispa).

The black currant fruit has been used for human consumption for centuries, from james and jellies to traditional medicine by Indigenous people. (Okoli, n.d.)

 

Wild Black Currant is an antioxidant and stops inflammation, which helps rheumatism and gout.  The leaves when taken as tea can help with pain relief or used as a poultice for wounds that are healing slowly.  (Gray, p. 206)

If you feel a cold or flu coming on, drink the berry juice blended with yarrow to support your immune system.  (Gray, p. 206)

Its seed oil contains gamma linolenic acid (GLA) which is used commercially for migraines, eczema, acne, arthritis, PMS, and other. (Gray, p. 206)

 

Wild Black Currant is high in fibre.  It also contains calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, Vitamin A, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B5, and Vitamin C (Gray, p. 207)