One of my favorite early spring blooms is the Red Flowering Currant (Ribes sanguineum). If you know any latin based language like Spanish, you might recognize that sanguineum is similar to the word sangre which means blood. Blood is red, of course, but the most common form of this plant's flower is really more of a pink.

The species was first described in 1793 by Archibald Menzies on the voyage of Captain George Vancouver. Archibald Menzies was a naturalist and surgeon much like that of the character Dr Stephen Maturin in the movie Master and Commander (2003) played by Paul Bettany. The voyage of George Vancouver to the North Pacific began on 1 April 1791 aboard the HMS Discovery. Vancouver named many features after friends and associates, including:

. Mt. Baker, named after 3rd Lieutenant Joseph Baker, the first on the expedition to spot it

. Mount St. Helens, named after Alleyne Fitzherbert, 1st Baron St Helens

. Puget Sound, after Discovery's lieutenant Peter Puget.

In 1817 the first specimens were carried back to England. As was the custom for gardeners in Europe, it was cultivated to achieve a tamer and flowerier appearance. The very first gardened cultivar was 'King Edward VII,' which was introduced back to America decades after journeying to Europe.

Red Flowering Currant is a drought resistant plant. Western Washington has a drought cycle in the summer, and some more serious droughts have caused concern about survival of garden and landscape plants. As populations increase and water supplies in the snow pack decrease from global warming and other climate changes, more demands will be placed on present water supplies. One way to keep a nice garden and help conserve water is to plan future landscapes and home gardens for more efficient water use. Plants native to the western Washington have evolved under a situation of dry summers and, therefore, can tolerate drier periods better than many foreign ornamental plants. Once established, native plants will not need to be irrigated. _