Skunk currant facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Skunk currant |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Ribes
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| Species: |
glandulosum
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The skunk currant (Ribes glandulosum) is a type of flowering plant. It belongs to the currant family. This plant gets its name because some people think its leaves smell a bit like a skunk when crushed! You can find it growing across North America.
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What is the Skunk Currant Plant?
The skunk currant is a small deciduous shrub. This means it's a bushy plant that loses its leaves in the fall. It usually grows to about 0.5 meters (1.6 feet) tall and wide. Its leaves look a bit like a hand with 5 or 7 deep sections, called lobes.
Flowers and Fruits
The plant has clusters of 6 to 15 pink flowers. These flowers grow in long groups. After the flowers, the plant produces fruits. The fruits are red and shaped like small eggs. Sometimes these berries are tasty to eat, and sometimes they are not!
Where Does the Skunk Currant Grow?
This plant is very common in Canada. You can find it in all 10 provinces and all 3 territories there. It also grows in parts of the United States. These areas include Alaska, the Great Lakes region, the Appalachian Mountains, and the Northeast.
Is the Skunk Currant Endangered?
In some places, the skunk currant is becoming rare. For example, in the United States, it is listed as endangered in Connecticut and New Jersey. This means there are very few of these plants left in those states. It is also thought to be completely gone from Ohio.
How People Used This Plant
Native American peoples have used the skunk currant for a long time. They used different parts of the plant for food and for traditional medicine.
Traditional Uses
- The Ojibwa people used a special tea made from the plant's roots. They drank this tea to help with back pain.
- The Woods Cree people ate the berries as food. They also made a bitter tea from the plant's stems.
- The Algonquin people also used the berries as a food source.
