The white currant (whitecurrant) is a sport of the red currant (Ribes rubrum), a species of flowering plant in the family Grossulariaceae, native to Europe. It is a deciduous shrub growing to tall and broad, with palmate leaves, and masses of spherical, edible fruit (berries) in summer. The white currant differs from the red currant only in the colour and flavour of these fruits, which are a translucent white and sweeter.