Ribes hudsonianum Ribes hudsonianum Ribes hudsonianum is a North American species of currant, known by the common name northern black currant. "Ribes hudsonianum" grows in moist wooded areas, such as mountain streambanks and in swamp thickets. They are upright to erect shrubs growing one half to 2 meters (20-80 inches) tall. They are aromatic, with a strong scent generally considered unpleasant. Stems are covered in shiny, yellow resin glands that lack spines or prickles. Leaves are up to 10 centimeters long, divided into three, or rarely five, sharp-toothed lobes, having long hairs on the undersides, studded with yellow glands. Inflorescences are erect,
Ribes divaricatum borne on petioles. The inflorescence is a small cluster of hanging flowers, each with reflexed purple-tinted green sepals and smaller, lighter petals encircling long, protruding stamens. The fruit is a sweet-tasting berry up to a centimeter wide which is black when ripe. It is similar to "Ribes lacustre" and "Ribes lobbii", but the former has smaller, reddish to maroon flowers and the latter has reddish flowers that resemble those of fuchsias and sticky leaves. The berries are edible, and are ripe when black. The fruit was food for a number of Native American groups of the Pacific Northwest, and other