Plant
Red flowering currant
Ribes sanguineum
Habitat
Cowlitz River
Conservation
Secure
First Observed
1806-03-27
Scarlet flowers make this an unusual currant and useful in horticulture. Glandular black berries make fruit unpalatable.
In the NPS atlas of species the expedition described
Red flowering currant
Discovered on the Cowlitz River. Scarlet flowers make this an unsual currant and useful in horticulture. Glandular black berries make fruit unpalatable.
Encyclopedia of Life page for Red flowering currant (opens in a new tab) On the atlas map
From the NPS Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Park Atlas, mirrored here on September 21, 2026. This copy is not authoritative; NPS remains the system of record. About the mirror
Journal References
15 journal entries mention Red flowering currant
Jun
9
1804
Missouri River near Jefferson City area — Joseph Whitehouse: June 9, 1804
...he Sand being Quick Vanquish*^ Suddently from
Under her the Currant Being Rappid Neerly Swept the
men of[f] their legs while Bearing her up from Sinquing.
Got to the G...
Jun
12
1804
Missouri River near Jefferson City area — Joseph Whitehouse: June 12, 1804
...the Sand being Quick Vanquish* Suddently from
Under her the Currant Being Rappid Neerly Swept the
men of[f] their legs while Bearing her up from Sinquing.
Got to the G...
Jun
19
1804
Missouri River near Boonville area — Joseph Whitehouse: June 19, 1804
...l* a bear brought the Skin left the Meat
as it was poor the Currant was Strong towe* Our boat
Untill we came to the head of the Strong watter Island whare
the watter r...
Jun
25
1805
Great Falls Portage — Patrick Gass: June 25, 1805
... There is in the bottoms a great quantity
of spear-mint and currant bushes. Also multitudes of black-
birds. The musquitoes are very troublesome, though the
snow is on...
Jul
20
1805
Missouri River above Great Falls, Gates of the Mountains — Patrick Gass: July 20, 1805
... are lower and not so rocky; and
where there are the finest currants I ever saw of different
kinds, red, yellow and black: the black are the most pleasant
and palatabl...
Jul
27
1805
Three Forks of the Missouri — Patrick Gass: July 27, 1805
...d deal of timber on the branches,
chiefly cotton-wood. Also currants, goose and service ber-
ries, and choak-cherries on the banks. The deer are plenty
too; some of th...
Aug
3
1805
Jefferson River ascending toward divide — Patrick Gass: August 3, 1805
... passed
several fine springs that issue from the mountains. Currants
and service berries are in abundance along this valley, and we
regaled ourselves with some of the ...
Aug
20
1805
Camp Fortunate, Sacagawea reunites with Cameahwait — Patrick Gass: August 20, 1805
...hich we passed and all along the river, there
are cherries, currants and other small fruit. The man who
had remained behind at the first village and the other who had
...
Aug
21
1805
Camp Fortunate, Sacagawea reunites with Cameahwait — Patrick Gass: August 21, 1805
...hich we passed and all along the river, there
are cherries, currants and other small fruit. The man who
had remained behind at the first village and the other who had
...
Apr
2
1806
Lewis: April 2, 1806
...in blume. the large leafed thorn has also
disappeared. the red flowering currant is found here in considerable
quantities on the uplands. the hunters inform me that there are exte...
Apr
12
1806
Lewis: April 12, 1806
...f maple, the purple haw, a small
speceis of cherry; purple currant, goosberry, red willow, vining and white
burry honeysuckle, huckkle burry, sacacommis, two speceis...
Apr
16
1806
Lewis: April 16, 1806
...ngers to me which I also preserved, among others there is a currant
which is now in blume and has yellow blossom something like the yellow
currant of the Missouri bu...
Apr
30
1806
Lewis: April 30, 1806
...he crimson haw,
redwillow, sweetwillow, chokecherry yellow currants, goosberry,
whiteberryed honeysuckle rose bushes, seven bark, and shoemate. I observed
the corng...
Jul
10
1806
Lewis: July 10, 1806
...ndant of
the common red kind and are begining to ripen. no currants on this river.
both species of the prickly pears just in blume.
Jul
12
1806
Lewis: July 12, 1806
...ly 1805 saw the brown thrush, pigeons, doves &c.
the yellow Currants begining to ripen.
