Natives by ZIP

Native plants recorded in your state and county

Shrub · Grossulariaceae

American black currant

Ribes americanum

American black currant is recorded as native to 29 states and territories in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in 632 counties of those states by USDA PLANTS.

Recorded native ranges can include long-established populations that spread from gardens; check your state’s native plant society list for local guidance. How native status is decided.

Key facts · USDA PLANTS

American black currant at a glance

Native in
632 counties, across 29 states and territories
Estimated cold hardiness
Zone 2b PLANTS minimum temperature −46°F
Mature height
3 ft PLANTS mature height
Light and water
Not recorded Moisture use not recorded

Estimated cold hardiness: zone 2b. PLANTS gives a minimum temperature of −46°F; zone 2b winters bottom out at −45°F, the coldest half-zone that stays within that limit.

American black currant is recorded as native to 29 states and territories in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in 632 counties of those states by USDA PLANTS.

Counties where it is native

The 15 counties with the most ZIP codes among the 632 where it is listed.

Native counties by state

Growing traits

Values from the PLANTS characteristics record. “Not recorded” means PLANTS has no value; nothing here is estimated except the zone.

Growth

Growth habit
Shrub
Duration
Perennial
Mature height
3 ft
Growth rate
Not recorded
Growth form
Thicket Forming
Shape
Erect
Lifespan
Short
Active growth period
Not recorded

Light and water

Shade tolerance
Not recorded
Moisture use
Not recorded
Drought tolerance
High
Tolerance of waterlogged soil
Low
Precipitation range
12 to 60 in per year

Soil

Soil textures
Coarse, medium and fine
pH range
5 to 7.8
Lime (CaCO₃) tolerance
Not recorded
Salinity tolerance
Not recorded
Fertility requirement
Not recorded
Minimum root depth
12 in

Climate

Minimum temperature
−46°F
Estimated cold hardiness
Zone 2b and warmer
Minimum frost-free days
128
Fire tolerance
Low

Flowers, leaves and fruit

Flower color
Yellow
Showy flowers
Yes
Bloom period
Early Spring
Foliage color
Green
Showy in fall
No
Keeps leaves
No
Fruit color
Black

Other

Toxicity
None
Nitrogen fixation
None
Nursery availability
Not recorded
Family
Grossulariaceae
PLANTS symbol
RIAM2

Is it native where you live?

Matches your ZIP to the county it mostly lies in, then lists the plants recorded as native to your state (Kew’s World Checklist and USDA PLANTS) and recorded in that county by USDA PLANTS.

Source & data date

Source
USDA NRCS PLANTS Database: county distribution records, native status and plant characteristics. CC0 (public domain dedication, per the data.gov catalog record).
Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP): native or introduced status by state. CC BY 3.0.
USGS US-RIIS (ver. 2.0): species listed as introduced are excluded. CC0.
Citation
USDA, NRCS. 2026. The PLANTS Database (https://plants.usda.gov, 11/04/2026). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC USA.
Govaerts R. (ed.) (2026). WCVP: World Checklist of Vascular Plants. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Data file dated 2026-06-04, http://sftp.kew.org/pub/data-repositories/WCVP/ (retrieved 2026-11-04). Paper: Govaerts R. et al. (2021) The World Checklist of Vascular Plants, a continuously updated resource for exploring global plant diversity. Scientific Data 8, 215.
Data date
Retrieved from PLANTS on November 4, 2026; WCVP data file dated June 4, 2026.
Scope
Ribes americanum (PLANTS symbol RIAM2).
Method
A species is listed when it is recorded as native to the state in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in the county by USDA PLANTS. Species PLANTS labels both native and introduced are listed separately. Full method · All sources

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