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Table of Contents
American Elder, Autum-Flowering Elder, Black-Berried Elder, Sweet Elder, Elderberry, Bore Tree
Higher Taxa
Description of species
Holotype/Paratype: (information not found)Identification Key: can be found in Flora of the Southern United States (see References)
Type:Decidious Shrubby Tree
Growth form:The primary growth season extends from late May or early June until July. Sambucus canadensis can grow to reach heights of up to 35 feet but it is more common to see shrubs of 12 to 15 feet.
Flower:Creamy white flower clusters in broad, flat cymes may be up to eight inches in diameter and are at their peak in late June and early July. The flower has corolla lobes which alternate with the five stamens.
Leaves:Their are 7 to 11 pinnately compound, oblong, serrate leaflets which are smoothish in appearance.
Fruits:Flowers give way to large clumps of blackish berries which stand upright until they ripen. Berries are most prevalent in September. New plants may bear fruit in their first year but more commonly they wait until the second.
Sambucus canadensis |
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| AREA | STATUS | REFERENCES |
| North America:
Continental United States; Canada |
Yes | Zucker, 1966 and Ritter, 1964 |
| Eastern North America:
United States east of Mississippi; Ontario and eastern Canada |
Yes | Zucker, 1966 and Ritter, 1964 |
| Southeastern United States:
AL AR DE DC FL GA KY MD NC SC TN VA WV |
Yes | Zucker, 1966 and Ritter, 1964 |
| Southern Appalachian States:
AL GA KY MD NC SC TN VA WV |
Yes | Zucker, 1966 and Ritter, 1964 |
| Coastal Plain | Yes | Zucker,1966 and Ritter, 1964 |
| Piedmont | Yes | Ritter, 1964 |
| Blue Ridge Mountains | Yes | Zucker,1966 and Ritter, 1964 |
| Great Smoky Mountains National Park | Yes | Zucker, 1966 and Ritter, 1964 |
| Ridge and Valley | Yes | Ritter, 1964 |
| Georgia | Yes | Zucker, 1966 and Ritter, 1964 |
| Clarke County, Georgia | Yes | Erin Ivy |
The American Elderberry grows in fertile moist soil throughout Canada, most of the eastern United States and in many parts of the western United States. It can be also be found at very high elevations in North Carolina.
Natural History
Ecological Requirements
Soil: moist and reasonably fertile
Season:can be seen year round
Life Cycle: In late summer the flowers give rise to large clumps of seed containing berries. Many of these berries may fall off and the seeds will simply germinate below the existing shrub. The remainder of the berries achieve seed dispersal by being eaten.
How to Encounter
How:
The large majestic shrub is most easily identified from June to October by the flowers or berries.
Where:
In eastern woodlands and in moist thickets of wetlands
Uses
Flowers:
Flowers can be used in alcoholic drinks and in elderflower water for skin and eyes. They may also treat colds, sore throats, hay fever, and arthritis.
Berries:
Berries can be used in portlike wine, jams, and pies.
Leaves:
Leaves can be applied to bruises and sprains.
Bark:
Bark may be given for epilepsy.
Roots:
Roots may treat lymphatic and kidney ailments.
In Addition:
The elderberry shrub may yield green, violet and black dyes.
References
Bremness, Lesley. 1994. Herbs: The Visual Guide to More Than 700 Herb Species from Around the World.Dorling-Kendersley. London. 82.
Chapman, AW. 1872. Flora of the Southern United States. Ivison, Blakeman, Taylor, and Co. New York. 171.
Gerard, WR. 1895. Origin of the Name Sambucus. Garden and Forest. 8:368.
McKee, GW, Ritter, CM. 1964. The Elderberry, History, Classification, and Culture. Pennsylvania State Coll. Agric. Exp. Sta. Bull. 709:24 pp.
Ourecky DK. 1970. Chromosome Morphology in the Genus Sambucus. Amer. J. Bot. 57(3):239-244.
Pixler VA. 1950. The Caprifoliacea of West Virginia. Castanea 15:80-91.
Zucker, I. 1990. Flowering Shrubs and Small Trees. Friedman Fairfax. New York. 258.
Zucker, I. 1966. Flowering Shrubs. D. Van Nostrand Co. New York. 293-295.
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