Roadless Areas
Home/Species/ Wolf's Currant

Ribes wolfii

Rothrock

Wolf's Currant

G5Secure Found in 35 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.150680
Element CodePDGRO021T0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderRosales
FamilyGrossulariaceae
GenusRibes
Other Common Names
Rothrock Currant (EN) Rothrock's Currant (EN) Winaha Currant (EN) Wolf Currant (EN) Wolf's currant (EN)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2026-06-26
Change Date2026-06-26
Edition Date2026-06-26
Edition AuthorsSoteropoulos (2026)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Ribes wolfii is a wide-ranging shrub usually found in shade at high elevations in meadows, moist woods, and mountain brush, aspen, Douglas fir, and spruce-fir communities. It is endemic to the western United States in northern Utah, western Colorado, New Mexico, and northern Arizona, disjunct in eastern Washington, northeastern Oregon, and west-central Idaho. There are over 300 occurrences, which face threats from grazing, timber harvest, wildfire, and invasive species. Little is known about trends, but with a large range extent and large number of occurrences, abundant habitat, and broad habitat preferences, this species is considered secure.
Range Extent Comments
Ribes wolfii is endemic to the western United States in northern Utah, western Colorado, New Mexico, and northern Arizona, disjunct in eastern Washington, northeastern Oregon, and west-central Idaho (Cronquist et al. 1997, FNA 2009, Giblin and Legler 2026, OSU 2026). Range extent was estimated to be over 950,000 square kilometers using herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1994 and 2025 (RARECAT 2025, GBIF 2026, iNaturalist 2026, NatureServe 2026, SEINet 2026).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1994 and 2025, it is estimated that there are over 300 occurrences rangewide (RARECAT 2025, GBIF 2026, iNaturalist 2026, NatureServe 2026, SEINet 2026).
Threat Impact Comments
Although threats are not widely documented, this species is threatened by grazing, timber harvest, wildfire, and invasive species, though there is insufficient data, including anecdotal accounts, to understand scope and severity of threats for this species rangewide (NatureServe 2026, WANHP 2026).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Ribes wolfii grows in meadows, moist woods, and mountain brush, aspen, Douglas fir, and spruce-fir communities, usually in shade, from montane to subalpine elevations (FNA 2009, Welsh et al. 2015, Heil and O'Kane 2025, Giblin and Legler 2026).

Reproduction

This species flowers from May to August (FNA 2009).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest/WoodlandForest - HardwoodForest - ConiferForest EdgeShrubland/chaparralGrassland/herbaceous
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
ColoradoS4Yes
New MexicoSNRYes
IdahoS2Yes
UtahSNRYes
OregonSNRYes
WashingtonS2Yes
ArizonaSNRYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
2 - Agriculture & aquacultureUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
2.3 - Livestock farming & ranchingUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
5 - Biological resource useUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
5.3 - Logging & wood harvestingUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
7 - Natural system modificationsUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
7.1 - Fire & fire suppressionUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
7.1.1 - Increase in fire frequency/intensityUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseasesUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
8.1 - Invasive non-native/alien species/diseasesUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
8.1.1 - Unspecified speciesUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)

—

Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (35)
Colorado (5)
AreaForestAcres
HermosaSan Juan NF148,103
Pole Mountain / Finger MesaRio Grande NF43,863
Red TableWhite River NF39,122
San MiguelSan Juan NF64,263
Storm PeakSan Juan NF57,617
New Mexico (15)
AreaForestAcres
Alamo CanyonSanta Fe National Forest8,639
Aspen MountainGila National Forest23,784
Black CanyonSanta Fe National Forest1,922
Bull - Of - The - WoodsCarson National Forest488
Columbine - Hondo Wilderness Study AreaCarson National Forest43,739
Cruces BasinCarson National Forest5,244
Devils CreekGila National Forest89,916
Guaje CanyonSanta Fe National Forest6,104
Holy GhostSanta Fe National Forest2,352
NolanGila National Forest13,051
PecosCarson National Forest13,436
Pecos WS RiverSanta Fe National Forest5,396
Tesuque CreekSanta Fe National Forest810
Thompson PeakSanta Fe National Forest33,001
Wheeler Peak WildernessCarson National Forest2,677
Oregon (1)
AreaForestAcres
Imnaha FaceWallowa-Whitman National Forest29,575
Utah (13)
AreaForestAcres
418024Uinta National Forest51,699
418027Uinta National Forest13,884
418028Uinta National Forest34,002
418029Uinta National Forest15,673
418040Uinta National Forest1,702
Horse Mountain - Mans PeakManti-Lasal National Forest22,159
Lone Peak ContiguousWasatch-Cache National Forest874
Mt. AireWasatch-Cache National Forest9,681
Mt. OlympusWasatch-Cache National Forest9,982
Muddy Creek - Nelson Mt.Manti-Lasal National Forest59,034
Twin PeaksWasatch-Cache National Forest6,157
White MountainFishlake National Forest23,939
White PineWasatch-Cache National Forest1,942
Washington (1)
AreaForestAcres
Upper TucannonUmatilla National Forest12,485
References (13)
  1. Cronquist, A., A.H. Holmgren, N.H. Holmgren, J.L. Reveal, P.K. Holmgren. 1997. Intermountain Flora, Volume 3, Part A Subclass Rosidae (except Fabales). The New York Botanical Gardens. Bronx, New York. 446 pp.
  2. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2009. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 8. Magnoliophyta: Paeoniaceae to Ericaceae. Oxford University Press, New York. xxiv + 585 pp.
  3. Giblin, D.E., and B.S. Legler (eds.). 2003+. WTU Image Collection Web Site: Vascular Plants, MacroFungi, & Lichenized Fungi of Washington State. University of Washington Herbarium. Online. Available: http://biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection.php.
  4. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2026. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2026).
  5. Heil, K.D., and S.L. O'Kane. 2025. Vascular plants of New Mexico. Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis. 1119 pp.
  6. iNaturalist. 2026. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2026).
  7. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  8. NatureServe. 2026. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
  9. Oregon State University (OSU). 2026. Oregon Flora website. Oregon State University Herbarium at Oregon State University. Online. Available: https://oregonflora.org/ (accessed 2026).
  10. <p>NatureServe's Rapid Analysis of Rarity and Endangerment Conservation Assessment Tool (RARECAT). 2025. Version: 2.1.1 (released April 04, 2025).</p>
  11. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2026. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2026).
  12. Washington Natural Heritage Program (WNHP). 2026. Online Field Guide to the Rare Plants of Washington. Online. Available: https://fieldguide.mt.gov/wa (accessed 2026).
  13. Welsh, S.L., N.D. Atwood, S. Goodrich, and L.C. Higgins. (Eds). 2015. A Utah flora, fifth edition, revised 2015. Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum, Provo, Utah. 987 pp.