Skip to main content
← Plants for Bees
Wax Currant
Wax Currant botanical plate
Field guide plate · click to zoom

Wax Currant

Ribes cereum

Honeybees visit wax currant for its accessible early-season nectar and pollen, supporting emerging colonies when other sources are scarce. Peak bloom occurs in April to June, providing a reliable spring forage window. This low-maintenance deciduous shrub thrives in dry, rocky soils but serves as an alternate host for white pine blister rust in some regions.

Nectarmedium
Pollenmedium
BloomApril–June
USDA zones3-8
TypePerennial
Sunpartial
NativeWestern North America
BeeAI — Ask the old beekeeper
Hey there, honey. Ask me anything about your bees.