TheMondayGarden.com

FAMILY: Our native elderberries have cousins throughout the Northern hemisphere, and in South America and Australia. The elderberries are, in turn, close kin to the viburnums, and also kin to the honeysuckles. The Latin name for the elderberry genus is "Sambucus". The rest of the taxonomy is murky due rethinking whether this genus sits properly in the honeysuckle family and whether the various forms of elderberry are separate species or subspecies of each other. Accordingly, determining the correct Latin name of the various elderberries is not all that easy as the standard horticultural references have not yet come into conformity with each other.

PICTURE: APRIL - NEW LEAVES of an American elderberry, along the Mill River riverwalk at Scalzi Park, Stamford, CT, April 2005.

DESCRIPTION: However, whatever the technical terminology, once you learn to recognize one elderberry, you can recognize almost any shrub in the genus as being an elderberry when you see it. The ubiquitous American elderberry reflects the clan genes in the opposite arrangement of the leaves and twigs, the wavy, ferny compound leaves with toothy edges, and the Queen Anne's Lace-like clusters of tiny white flowers in early summer followed by small juicy berries in August - September. The American elderberry has dark red- or blue-black berries. The color of the berries, and sometimes the flowers, varies by species (or sub-species, depending on the nomenclature that you're using), as does shape and texture of the leaves, and the shape of the flower head.

Note: While I believe that all of the elderberry which are pictured in this article are American Elderberry, I wonder if we don’t have some unrecognized imported elderberry strains mixed in. The European colonists did have a tendency to import, and let loose, all of their favorite plants from home, even if we all ready had a close relative over here. However, the American elderberry (Sambucus Canadensis or Sambucus nigra spp. canadensis ) and European (black) elderberry (Sambucus nigra) are so closely related, it is often thought, at least today, that they are the same species, so who knows.

PICTURE: EARLY JUNE - SUMMER LEAVES of the same American elderberry as above, along the Mill River riverwalk at Scalzi Park, Stamford, CT, June 2005.

USE IN FOOD AND MEDICINE: A thing to note about the elderberry genus is that the plants are high in alkaloids and other chemical compounds that are poisonous to humans. Several of the elderberries, including the American, have lower concentrations of the harmful chemicals in the flowers and berries. The berries of American elderberry are not eaten raw but are eaten after drying or cooking; the flowers are eaten raw or cooked. The berries, when harvested before the birds can get them, are used for pies, other baked goods, candy, tonics and wine. The flowers are used as a flavoring, fried in fritters, and made into a champagne-like wine. The edible parts are extremely high in vitamin C, anti-oxidants and other healthful things.

The poison parts have been used historically, perhaps even pre-historically as far back as the Stone Age, as medicine -- purgatives, topical antiseptics and the like. The shrub has had so many medical uses that it was often called "nature's medicine chest".

Elderberry leaves have also be crushed and rubbed on the skin as an effective, if smelly, insect repellent; likewise the dried leaves and dried flowers have been used as an insect and rodent repellent. A tea made from the leaves is said to be used to treat plant fugal infections such as powdery mildew.

(CAUTION: Given the general toxicity of the plant, I wonder about prolonged or extensive contact with the plant or its parts, even the supposedly safe flowers and berries. Also, the flowers and berries of some elderberries are not safe to eat, so know your plant before taking a bite! ).

PICTURE: LATE JUNE - CLOSE UP OF THE FLOWERS of the same American elderberry as above, along the Mill River riverwalk at Scalzi Park, Stamford, CT, June 2005.

OTHER USES: The American elderberry's warty, clay-colored twigs contain a soft pith that is easily removed. The resulting hollow tube has been turned into everything from flutes and blowpipes to needle boxes and siphons. The mature wood is fine-grained and workable, making it ideal for toys, tools, and the like. The bark is said to useful for making a black dye.

WILDLIFE: The birds love the berries, and vigorously spread American elderberry along our streams and roadsides. The pollen-eaters love the pollen. The stream-side plants protect the banks from erosion and create habitat for the riparian critters. Birds nest in elderberry thickets; muskrats (wonderful mini-beavers that don't make dams) burrow between its roots, and ducks sleep in its shadow.

PICTURE: AUGUST - THE BERRIES of the same American elderberry as above, along the Mill River riverwalk at Scalzi Park, Stamford, CT, August 2005. Note that the birds are eating the berries as fast as they ripen.

CULTIVATING ELDERBERRY: In times past, the birds spread elderberry seeds with so much vigor that there was generally no need to cultivate the plant. Of course, today, that has changed. Much of the land has been taken by malls and housing; and much of the remaining "undeveloped" land has been poisoned by heavy metals from car exhausts, chemical dumping and other causes. Today, we need to grow our own.

Fortunately, growing elderberry is very easy. There are a number of attractive garden hybrids that are worth considering but you can also start with a cutting. The American elderberry prefers a sunny, moist location but can tolerate part shade and is drought tolerant. It is not particular about soil type and is OK with salt and urban pollution.

The plant is shallow rooted so it may need extra water during its first two years and it should be mulched. Be careful about cultivating around the plant (e.g. hoeing weeds) as shallow roots can be easily damaged.

PICTURE: NOVEMBER - FALL LEAVES of the same American elderberry as above, along the Mill River riverwalk at Scalzi Park, Stamford, CT, November 2003.

The elderberry is naturally insect resistant enough that there are no major pest problems. Interestingly, out West, the native Valley Elderberry Longhorn Beetle (not to be confused with the deadly tree-eating Asian Long-horned Beetle) is endangered due to deforestation of its sole food, the local elderberry, and replanting efforts are under way to help save the beetle.

Elderberry is susceptible to powdery mildew and other leaf fungi so it should be planted where it gets plenty of air circulation. It can spread by root sucking so consider a root barrier if the plant is to be kept confined.

PICTURE: MARCH - WINTER TRUNKS of the same American elderberry as above, along the Mill River riverwalk at Scalzi Park, Stamford, CT, March 2005. Note the large, warty lenticels along the trunk and the opposite branching.

PICTURE: FEBURARY - THE BUDS of the same American elderberry as above, along the Mill River riverwalk at Scalzi Park, Stamford, CT, February 2005. Note the lack of a terminal bud.