Ribes alpinum, known as mountain currant[2] or alpine currant,[3] is a small deciduous, dioecious[4] shrub native to central and northern Europe from Finland and Norway south to the Alps and Pyrenees and Caucasus, Georgia; in the south of its range, it is confined to high altitudes.

It is scarce in western Europe, in Britain being confined to a small number of sites in northern England and Wales.

[5] R. alpinum grows to 2 metres (6+1⁄2 feet) tall and 1.5 m (5 ft) broad, with an upright and dense shape.

Both kinds of flowers are organized in clusters in the corners of the leaves, where the male's are the longest.

The edible fruit is red, clear and resembles a redcurrant, but has an insipid taste.